A Different Path
by rampantwolfhound
Summary: After some of Chu Qiao's Xiulis have been wrongfully executed, she makes the conscious decision to break from Yan Xun before the icy lake scene and walk a different path. Canon divergence from Eng-subbed episode 55.
1. Chapter 1

AN: This was originally meant to be the intro to a series of multiple ways that CQ could've left YX before the icy lake scene, but with a bit of polishing it can stand as a one-shot. [Edit: Okay, so maybe it's going to be a full story instead of a one-shot. That's what happens when I forget to mark one-shots complete, I guess;).] I've tried to be true to CQ's character as I understand it and to flesh out a CQ who's ready to leave a bit earlier than what the writers give us in canon. I'm not criticizing canon CQ because the writers were never going to let her leave YX before the icy lake scene anyway, which was always slotted to be at the end of the series.

* * *

Chu Qiao rarely had use for long bouts of introspection. After all, what good did lamenting about the past do anyway? No amount of regret could change a single thing about anything that had already happened, so the best course of action was to accept that you'd done the best that you could with what you had and get on with your life. And yet…

Once again, the image of her Xiulis— _her_ men, regardless of what Yan Xun said—being knifed in the back played through her mind. She had sworn to protect them, to redeem them, to give them the peaceful life in their homeland that they'd craved for years. They'd trusted her, followed her, sworn loyalty to her...And yet…

Yan Xun's voice interrupted her agonized thoughts as he talked to her through the window, a shadow that was both there and not there at the same time. His words pulled at her as they always had, recalling to her mind all of the trials that they'd been through together, all of the things that they'd done for one another, all of the promises that they'd made.

He promised her Chang'an and the world, causing her to sit down at the seat before the window with an undignified thump even as he admitted that he knew that that wasn't what she really wanted.

 _So what do you really want?_ Chu Qiao thought as Yan Xun told her that she could never leave nor betray him. The question echoed in her mind as his footsteps faded away.

While she couldn't yet answer that question in its entirety, one fact crystallized in her mind.

"Yan Xun," she whispered, "It's a pity that you and I are no longer walking on the same path."

 _So what path are you walking on?_ _What do you really want? s_ he thought as she stared off into the middle distance.

Yuwen Yue's face suddenly popped into her head, but she ruthlessly shoved those thoughts to the side as she always did. She knew that no amount of wishing could change the past or the future, so she focused on the practical and the just.

 _To stop the war._

She nodded once, accepting that she'd moved beyond wanting vengeance to desiring nothing but peace and happiness for her people. After all, she'd already achieved her personal vengeance on behalf of her family and had killed all of the guilty parties involved in the human hunt. What good would more bloodshed achieve?

 _Okay, so how are you going to stop the war? What resources do you have at your disposal?_

He Xiao's strong face flashed through her mind.

 _The Xiulis are not only people I'm responsible for but are also a valuable resource that I could offer to a potential ally._

Chu Qiao's eyes widened in shock as she realized that she'd already made her choice to leave even though she hadn't yet admitted it to herself. She acknowledged that she'd never been good at making long-term plans, but she was still proud of the way that her agile mind would often make the swift leaps and bounds necessary to craft an excellent short-term plan.

 _So you want to stop the war, and the best way to accomplish this is by leaving and taking your Xiulis with you. So where will you go? How will you get there? What will you do once you're-_

She cut off those thoughts, figuring that she'd work out more of the particulars once she'd made her escape.

 _Escape? It's not like Yan Xun would physically stop you from leaving...would he?_

Memories of the Xiuli execution assaulted her again, making her doubt everything that she'd once believed about the man who had been her closest friend and ally not all that long ago. She was troubled that she couldn't give a definitive answer to that question. All she knew was that that familiar feeling of panic that told her that she had to _**get out now**_ was building in her again.

Perversely, she welcomed that feeling as it was something familiar to her, something within her comfort zone. True, her world was much larger now that it had once been and her responsibilities were greater, but she was still confident that she'd be able to not only see her people and herself to safety but to also stop the seemingly inevitable war between Wei and Yan Bei.

 _What other choice do you have other than to be confident? Too much thinking slows you down, and too much slowing down gets you killed. The key is to never stop moving._

Threads of a plan began weaving themselves together in her mind, and she let them come together just as they always had. She knew realistically that so much could go wrong and that the entire scheme could end in disaster, but she mentally shrugged because she figured that since her current course was heading for catastrophe anyway, she may as well try to do something new to save her people.

 _Life in chaotic times is just that way. You do your best to hold on to those you love, but you end up losing them anyway one by one. So you pick your target, pull back the string, aim your arrow, and let it fly. And if you go down swinging your sword in the end…_

Her eyes fell on Can Hong Jian, remembering the way that she'd felt when Yuwen Yue had first handed it to her. She picked up the sword, relishing the feelings of safety and security that she felt from its familiar heft in her hand. Her eyes fell on the flute that Yan Xun had given her not long after Yuwen Yue had given her the sword that she could've stopped carrying long ago.

She looked at the flute before tightening her hand on the scabbard of Can Hong Jian. Turning away, she walked to the door and firmly pushed it open. After all, she had things to do, and thinking too hard about the things that she had to do would lessen her odds of being able to do them.

Even now, a large part of her was shocked at how ready she was to throw away much of the last three years just to chase after the unknown. And yet was that not how her life had always been? Had she not always been forced to give up those she loved in order to live to fight another day?

She briefly thought about saying goodbye to her adoptive sisters, who were safely tucked away in anonymity in a small town that only a few people close to her knew about. Her mouth tightened as she acknowledged the sad truth.

 _The farther they are away from me, the better off they'll be._

Chu Qiao knew that the same couldn't be said for Yan Xun, but the events of earlier had driven home just how little influence she now had over the man who had once grinned impishly at her and called her his little wild kitten. That man was dead, and a battlefield shade was all that was left in his place. Her first duty must be to the people that she actually stood a chance of being able to save, and that's just what she intended to do—or die trying.

The first step was to talk to her Xiulis, and then to find Yuwen Yue, and then…well, she had no idea of Yuan Song's current frame of mind, but if Yuwen Yue found him worth protecting, then maybe he was worth setting up as the leader of Yanbei with a bit more practical authority than a royal decree from the emperor could give him.

She realized with a start that her feet had taken her to the ramparts almost of their own volition, as if they were already ready to start the process of leaving. Chu Qiao was surprised to see Zhong Yu already standing there and looking forlornly out at the city. Wordlessly, she shuffled up to the wall beside her long-time friend and comrade in arms.

Zhong Yu, who had almost lost Mister Wu to death at Yan Xun's command. Zhong Yu, who would now have to leave Yanbei if she wanted to be with the man she loved. Zhong Yu, who'd been the head of Yanbei's spies well before the rebellion had taken place and who thus had a keen grasp of Yanbei politics.

 _Maybe she'd be interested in backing a government that would let her and Mister Wu live in Yanbei together in peace? Come to think of it, A'Jing knows better than most how close Yanbei is to starvation, and he did seem distressed about the killing of my Xiulis. Maybe…_

But she was getting ahead of herself. She revised her plan to include this new wrinkle.

 _The more I can bring with me, the better off we'll be—and the worse off Yan Xun will be. Of course, I'll have to deal with Cheng Yuan, but…_

Chu Qiao gripped Can Hong Jian tightly as she acknowledged the truth.

 _I'm no match for him as a general, but he's no match for what I truly am, either. When the time comes…_

She turned her head and looked at Zhong Yu, opening her mouth and officially committing herself to a different path.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: I hadn't originally planned to continue this story, but there was so much demand for a more proactive Chu Qiao that I figured I'd do my best to give my readers what they want. On the downside, that meant I had to take some time off to actually come up with something that resembles a plot for this story. I'll warn y'all up front that when it comes to strategy, I'm no Yuwen Yue. But I can promise that there will be action (eventually), XingYue, angst, actual resolution of issues between our OTP, and an icy lake scene that won't end with Chu Qiao opening her eyes underwater.

I also feel compelled to warn you that this is not "Green Hills Happyland" as I dubbed the world in which I wrote my last story. This is my best attempt at combining the characters that we get near the end of the show with the results of a more proactive Chu Qiao factored in. Chu Qiao might be more proactive, but she hasn't received a brain transplant. She's still going to be impetuous, stubborn, aggressive, and angry (and somewhat scared, now, since she feels the walls closing in on her and her people). She's going to say some things to Yuwen Yue she'll regret later; he'll say some things back to her likewise. I'll always do my best to get inside of their heads, though, so that you'll understand why they're saying and doing these things. But there will eventually be XingYue and a happy ending; I doubt I'm capable of writing anything else for this fandom. I hope y'all enjoy the ride.

* * *

"I'm sorry about what happened to Mister Wu," Chu Qiao said, looking at the woman who had at one point been the only other person standing with her at Yan Xun's side.

"I was going to say the same to you, A'Chu," Zhong Yu said, glancing away guiltily. "I know that you might think I should've said something, but-"

"But we both know that nothing you said or did would've made a difference, anyway," Chu Qiao said. "Yan Xun's always hated the Xiulis, and Cheng Yuan had laid his trap too well."

"I also have people that I need to protect, people who are important to Yanbei."

"People like Mister Wu, who Yan Xun almost had executed over a bit of grain?"

"Yes," Zhong Yu said after a pause. "In fact, I was planning on stopping by your room to say goodbye since I'll have to escort him out of Yanbei quickly."

"And you won't come back once you've done so."

"No," Zhong Yu admitted. "Mister Wu is the heart and soul of Yanbei-"

"And the man you love," Chu Qiao said, getting to the heart of the matter. "I can't blame you for doing what both your heart and your sense of duty are telling you to do. Besides, what's left here for you, anyway? In fact, what's left here for either of us?"

Zhong Yu's eyes widened in alarm.

"You can't leave, A'Chu. You're the only one who can keep Yan Xun on a righteous path. If you leave-"

"Then exactly the same things will happen if I stay, only sooner."

"But your influence-"

"Is nonexistent. What influence did I manage to exert over Yan Xun earlier today? Did my supposed influence manage to save my innocent men? Did it overpower Cheng Yuan's influence with Yan Xun? Did it somehow stop Yan Xun's thirst for blood or inability to trust? If I can't even stop Yan Xun from killing men that he's supposed to value as his own, then why do you think I can stop him from wreaking havoc on things he doesn't value—or outright hates?"

Zhong Yu stood silently, obviously needing time to digest her friend's tirade. Chu Qiao was all too glad to give it to her as she took the opportunity to study the unfamiliar soldiers marching through the city. She could tell that their presence bothered Zhong Yu, too, and she hoped that the visual would end up working in her favor.

"So what are you planning, A'Chu? You always have a plan."

Chu Qiao smiled joylessly at her old friend.

"Of course I do. It's not well-formed yet, but maybe you could help me to flesh it out with your experience and skill."

Zhong Yu watched her warily yet expectantly.

"Would you agree that our current path is likely leading us into a seemingly inevitable war with Wei—a war that we will likely lose?"

"I would say so, yes."

"Would you agree that it would be in all of our best interests to avoid such a war?"

"Well, some people would probably find war with Wei to be in their best interests, but in terms of the people of Yanbei, yes, I'd agree with you."

"Would you agree that you and I might be able to take some steps to prevent this war from occurring if we're willing?"

"A'Chu-"

"Would you agree that both you and the people of Yanbei would likely benefit from Mister Wu and you not having to leave?"

Zhong Yu stared out at the strange troops as they marched in formation through the streets. Chu Qiao could see her friend's mind working and knew that there were, fortunately, going to be some things that she wasn't going to have to say aloud to the experienced warrior and leader.

"Who are you going to back, A'Chu?" Zhong Yu asked, her eyes never leaving the marching soldiers. "And what are you going to do about our current leadership?"

Chu Qiao took a deep breath.

"Anyone that we back is going to have to have some level of approval from Wei if we're going to stand a chance of not only making but maintaining peace. This person will also have to be generally peaceful himself, or else we'll just be exchanging one warlord for another."

"You're talking about Prince Yuan Song, aren't you? A'Chu, could we trust him? Would he trust us?"

"I don't know if he'd trust us, to be honest. He and I have a lot of history together, and I know he felt like I betrayed him by helping to lead Yan Xun's rebellion. The past several years have changed us all, and the past couple of months have changed us even more. I don't know how much Yuan Song's changed, but the man that I know would definitely want peace and would do his best to prevent more war."

"So how would you go about finding out if this man is trustworthy before you decide to back him in a coup?"

Chu Qiao didn't even bother to deny Zhong Yu's use of the description of what she was planning.

"I'd talk to Yuwen Yue."

"A'Chu..."

"He and I have had our differences, but I know that he wouldn't lie to me about something like this—if I could even get him to trust me himself. If he were to confirm to me that Yuan Song is the man I think he is, then I'd trust his judgment on this issue."

"But you'd understand why I wouldn't."

"Of course."

"A'Chu, you pointed out that my motives for leaving were personal...what do you get out of this plan? Are you sure this isn't personal for you, too?"

"Of course it's personal. I just watched my men— _my_ men, no matter what Yan Xun says—be knifed in the back because of politics and lies. I just came to the realization that the man I've followed for the past several years isn't the man I thought I knew. I just came to the realization that I have to do something different than what I'm doing now, and this is the best I could come up with. Do you have any other plan that doesn't involve us running away and leaving Yanbei to be destroyed?"

Zhong Yu sighed, obviously realizing the deflection for what it was but not wanting to get bogged down in an argument over it. Chu Qiao was all too glad to not have to talk about her feelings for her former master and mentor.

"What would you do about the current regime, then? What would you do about Yan Xun? Because any coup that we attempt will be pointless if we can't change the leadership at the top. Are you prepared to do that, A'Chu?"

Chu Qiao stared morosely out at the city.

"Honestly, that's the one big part of this plan that I haven't figured out yet. For all that I know that Yan Xun's done wrong and is going to keep on doing wrong, I know I don't have it in me to…deal with him. I know that planning to back another leader without also planning on how to remove our current one is pointless, but..."

"I've had to do some hard things in my life, A'Chu," Zhong Yu finally said. "You know about some of the hard things I've had to do; you haven't approved of them. I still stand by most of them, though, as having been necessary steps to take at those times. But raising my hand against Yan Xun..."

The two women stood in pensive silence for a few moments.

"I take it you won't have similar reservations about getting rid of Yan Xun's other generals," Zhong Yu said softly.

"Would you like to help me?" Chu Qiao said, smiling mirthlessly.

"I haven't agreed to help you do anything yet," Zhong Yu said, looking at Chu Qiao with an exasperated expression. "I obviously will have to talk to Mister Wu about this."

"Naturally," Chu Qiao said. "In fact, I need to talk to Mister Wu, too—about this plan and some other things as well."

"Alright," Zhong Yu said, nodding once. "We'll talk to him, and then we'll make some decisions. We should leave as soon as possible, but not together so that we won't arouse any suspicion."

Chu Qiao nodded back, pleased that the discussion had gone so well. She knew that her plan was still in its infancy, and that the entire scheme might end up with them all fleeing for their lives—or lying slaughtered on some battlefield.

 _But at least we'll go down with swords in our hands and doing the right thing rather than just sitting around and waiting for death..._

* * *

Chu Qiao's head was still spinning from the events of the past several hours and she wasn't at all prepared to talk to Yuwen Yue. Yet here they were, face to face beside an icy lake on Xiuli Mountain with the future of their respective kingdoms on the line.

She'd planned on talking to He Xiao as soon as she'd finished speaking with Mister Wu, but she'd ridden hard for Xiuli Mountain after learning that her men had essentially been exiled there. Cheng Yuan was a smart and ruthless general, and his intervention was going to add complications to an already shaky plan.

Doubts about the feasibility of the scheme that she, Zhong Yu, and Mister Wu had recently cobbled together assailed Chu Qiao as she tried to figure out how she was going to present the plan in a way that Yuwen Yue might accept. She'd assumed that she'd have more time to pull her thoughts together—and to at least be able to say beyond a shadow of a doubt that she had roughly a hundred battle-hardened troops to offer a potential ally.

 _Well, a hundred troops plus who knows how many top-notch fighters from a group that's comprised of Yuwen Yue's sworn enemies._

At last, she and Yuwen Yue began to speak of the circumstances that had led them to Xiuli Mountain. They both easily figured out that Cheng Yuan was the likely culprit who had led their respective groups into what he expected to be an ambush, and Chu Qiao squirmed uncomfortably when he rhetorically asked if Yan Xun had turned a blind eye to the situation and pointed out how she was no match for Cheng Yuan. Chu Qiao turned away from Yuwen Yue and knelt by the icy lake, trying to gather her thoughts.

"The hatred in Yan Xun's heart would be harder to melt than the ice on this lake," she said, staring out over the ice. "At first, all I wanted was to take my sisters and I to a place of freedom so that we could live well. Yan Xun told me about Yanbei, and I felt in my heart that it sounded like a place worth living in, a place worth protecting. And yet, as with so many things in my life, that dream has turned to ashes. Nothing is the way I thought it would be; nothing has turned out right."

Chu Qiao stood up but still kept her back turned to Yuwen Yue as she continued to build up to her pitch.

"I've never been one for regrets; I've never seen the point of thinking too much about past events you can't change anyway. There are things I'd change if I could go back in time, but I can't—so all I can do is to try to change the future to the best of my ability. In the past, I was too arrogant in the sense that I believed that I alone could do things. I alone could protect people. I alone could decide what was best for people. I...I alone could direct Yan Xun."

A sheen of tears misted Chu Qiao's eyes, and she was glad that Yuwen Yue couldn't see them. He stayed silent as if believing that she needed to unburden herself to him. She already owed him more than she could ever repay, and she knew that what she was going to have to tell him later was going to add to that debt.

"But watching him callously order my innocent men to be knifed in their backs even as I begged for their lives showed me how insignificant I was in the scheme of things. So I sought out help from people who may be able to do what I know I can't do alone: protect the people I care about and stop the war between Wei and Yanbei."

"What are you planning, Xing'er?" Yuwen Yue asked, a wary edge to his voice. "I recognize that tone of voice, that set of your shoulders. Have you thrown together some half-planned scheme that's likely going to get a lot of people killed just so that you can escape from the latest bad situation you've landed in?"

Chu Qiao turned around and scowled, already annoyed at herself for letting the man get under her skin—and at how well he knew her. She almost felt like she was back in Chang'an and that he was now going to try to convince her of her impending death.

 _Like I haven't been living with the threat of imminent death for my whole life._

"Actually, it's a plan that I've formed with Zhong Yu and Mister Wu. It's more than half-planned, but it's less than fully-planned. We'll need your help for that."

Yuwen Yue tried unsuccessfully to hide his skeptical amusement.

"Yuwen Yue! I'm being serious."

"I know. That's what I'm afraid of."

"We want to stop this war, and we are willing to do anything we can to make that happen."

"Are you, really, Xing'er? Because 'anything' is likely to include removing Yan Xun from power in some way. Are the three of you willing to do that?"

Chu Qiao was silent for a moment as she pursed her lips.

"Mister Wu is, as Zhong Yu says, 'The heart and soul of Yanbei.' He has many connections with the old, wealthy families of Yanbei, and he believes that he can get most of them on our side, forcing Yan Xun to step down."

"So you're going to stage a coup to make Mister Wu the leader of Yanbei?"

"No; we want to stage a coup to officially make Yuan Song the leader of Yanbei."

Making Yuwen Yue speechless was not an everyday occurrence, and Chu Qiao took a few moments to savor the fact that she'd accomplished just that.

"So you want me to tell Yuan Song that three out of the four people who planned Yan Xun's rebellion want him to trust them to stage a coup on his behalf?"

"Well, I wouldn't exactly present things that way."

"I know you wouldn't, Xing'er."

"I want you to tell Yuan Song that three high-ranking Yanbei officials believe that he's the man who can make peace on Yanbei's behalf with Wei and who can be trusted to do his best get Yanbei back on its feet again."

Yuwen Yue eloquently raised an eyebrow at her.

"And that we want to do everything we can to stop the war."

"Ah, yes. Now we're back to this 'everything' that doesn't really include 'everything.' Tell me: Does 'everything' even involve getting rid of Cheng Yuan?"

Chu Qiao smiled coldly at Yuwen Yue, gratified to see his eyes widen a bit.

"As you so eloquently pointed out earlier, I'm no match for Cheng Yuan as a general. However, you know what I really am, what you trained me to be. Tell me, Yuwen Yue. Do you think he's a match for what I truly am?"

"So you're going to, what? Slit his throat in his sleep?"

"Zhong Yu and I will, yes. In fact, we'll take out all of the bloodthirsty, vengeful generals, leaving only the few who would likely be willing to make peace with Wei."

"I'm sure that your personal vendetta with Cheng Yuan has nothing to do with this decision."

"Of course it does," Chu Qiao admitted matter-of-factly. "As you know, I always get vengeance on those who kill my people."

"Regardless of who gets in the middle."

"That gives me something in common with many of the people on your own side, then, doesn't it? How many innocent Yanbei people did the emperor order to be slaughtered because of his personal vendetta again?"

"If my side is so bad, then why do you want to join it?"

"Who said I wanted to join it?" Chu Qiao asked, eyes widening in fake innocence. "Actually what I want to do is to take the best of our side, combine it with the best of your side, and try to form an alliance of people who don't want to kill the innocent."

"People like Zhong Yu? I'm fairly certain that she was heavily involved in the killing of innocents in the streets of Chang'an."

Chu Qiao was silent for a moment.

"Yes, she did some things I didn't agree with. However, I don't believe that she did them out of vengeance or bloodthirstiness but out of a desire to help us to escape the city safely. I know for certain now that she doesn't want to fight anymore and that she just wants to live in a peaceful Yanbei with the man she loves."

"Xing'er, did Zhong Yu ever tell you about the plan that she and Yan Xun formed with the Liang spies to flood all of Chang'an?"

Now it was Chu Qiao's turn to be speechless. She wanted to call Yuwen Yue a liar, but she instinctively knew that he wouldn't lie to her about such a thing. She tried to think of something, anything, to tell Yuwen Yue, but her mind didn't seem to want to work right.

"If you knew about such a plan," she said softly, "then why didn't you just tell the emperor, get us all arrested, and have that be the end of the rebellion?"

He simply looked at her intensely, letting his eyes do the talking for him.

"Oh," she said as she understood.

 _Because he knew that I would've probably been implicated and maybe executed even if I hadn't been involved. Will I ever be able to repay this man what I owe him?_

"Thank you for telling me this, Yuwen Yue," Chu Qiao managed to say softly. "No, I mean it. And for what it's worth, I'm glad you stopped that plan from going forward. I'm not going to bother to defend Zhong Yu's part in it, either, as that won't really get us anywhere. I'll simply say that I believe that her desire to protect Yanbei and to be able to live in it with Mister Wu will outweigh any desire for vengeance and move on. In fact..."

Chu Qiao swallowed hard, not wanting to continue the conversation but knowing she had no choice.

"Yuwen Yue, since you were honest with me, I'm going to be honest with you. I didn't just go to talk to Mister Wu about this plan. He used to work for my mother, and he was able to fill in many gaps about my identity and what happened to me before I almost died. I almost decided not to tell you the truth since doing so will probably do me more harm than good, but knowing our timing, you would probably learn the truth about me in some other worse way anyway. Tell me: what did you manage to find out about my past when I was at Qing Shan Yuan?"

"I found out that you'd been adopted by the Jing family as an illegitimate daughter of his," Yuwen Yue replied, obviously not bothering to pretend that he hadn't researched her past. "After I found out about your strong inner power locked inside of you, I tried to find a record of a girl with those kinds of abilities, but was unsuccessful. The only likely description matched that of a young woman who had died before you even came to Qing Shan Yuan."

"A young woman who had fallen off of a cliff into the Yellow River and drowned?"

The muffled sound of softly-falling snow was all that could be heard in the silence left in the wake of Chu Qiao's question. She could see the dawning comprehension on Yuwen Yue's face as he was once again rendered speechless, but she took no satisfaction from being the cause of it this time. Her own face she kept blank by sheer force of will, not wanting to react to the myriad negative emotions she saw flashing in Yuwen Yue's eyes.

"As I said, I wasn't going to tell you since there wouldn't have been any benefit in doing so—except that Mister Wu thinks that the Underworld would likely accept the leadership of Luo He's daughter in spite of the memory loss. What he's less certain about is if they'd accept the leadership of someone who insists that they no longer be the sworn enemies of the Eyes of God. So he's going to ask a couple of Luo He's most loyal, discrete operatives if they'd be willing to accept those conditions, and if they say no, then he'll tell them nothing more about me or my location."

"Do you really think you can end generations of animosity with a simple request, Xing'er?" Yuwen Yue asked, seeming to have recovered his mask. "The Eyes of God and the Underworld have been at war with one another for generations, and there's much bad blood there."

"Well, I'm already trying to prevent a war between two powerful forces with nothing more than several ex-rebels, a force of a hundred or so troops that everyone but me mistrusts that I haven't even asked to participate yet, and a batch of vague promises. Why not add 'potential sworn enemies of the man I'm trying to persuade to trust and help me' to the list of incentives?"

Chu Qiao's attempt at humor seemed to be successful as Yuwen Yue gave her a twitch of his lips that she knew to be the equivalent of a normal person's smile. She knew that her former master would take her plan, break it down, and figure out ways to make it work to his advantage, so she didn't have a problem with pointing out the plan's numerous flaws in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere.

"I'm glad you haven't lost your unique sense of humor in these chaotic times, Xing'er."

"Oh, everyone appreciates me for my sense of humor in Yanbei, Yuwen Yue. It definitely comes in handy during meetings with the other generals. In fact, if this plan fails, then my backup plan is to simply charm everyone into going along with us."

"Now my faith in this plan has been restored."

"In fact, between the two of us, Yuwen Yue, we should be able to win over any who oppose us just with our people-pleasing skills."

Chu Qiao felt like she was losing her mind, yet the fact that Yuwen Yue was willing to banter with her like this was soothing ragged edges she hadn't even known she'd had. She'd almost expected him to simply walk away from her after she'd revealed the truth of her parentage, but he hadn't—and he actually seemed to be contemplating forming an alliance with her and her allies.

"Xing'er-" Yuwen Yue said, his expression as unreadable to her as it had been in her silver bell days.

"Yuwen Yue," she interrupted, recognizing a good time to retreat when she saw one, "I know I've given you a lot to think about and that you have to talk things over with your people. Whenever you reach a decision, send a note with Ping'an, who runs errands for me every day. I should probably go talk to He Xiao so that I can make sure that the Xiulis are willing to help."

"Those men will follow you anywhere, Xing'er, even if the path you walk down leads to nothing but death."

"I don't know why," Chu Qiao muttered, her good humor disappearing.

Yuwen Yue sighed softly, watching the snow falling on and around the icy lake.

"Because they love you, Xing'er, and are willing to give up everything for you even if they shouldn't. Because they know how much you care for them even if you can't usually say so. Because that's just the way they are."

"Yuwen Yue," Chu Qiao said, hating the tears that she knew he could see misting in her eyes. "Don't worry about the Underworld spies. I won't let Mister Wu tell them where we are if they're going to make trouble. And if they try to come after you, I'll kill them myself. I will leave first."

Chu Qiao clasped Can Hong Jian in her hands and bowed to Yuwen Yue before spinning around and walking quickly away. That man had always been able to get to her, and today had been no exception. She knew that she was going to have to keep a clear head if she was going to be able to execute this plan, and nobody could muddle her feelings to the degree of Yuwen Yue.

 _How is it possible to feel so_ _much_ _while also feeling so dead inside?_ Chu Qiao wondered as she trudged down the path from the icy lake towards her men. _The only times I truly feel alive are when I'm with…_

She squelched those thoughts as a chorus of "Chu Da Ren!" rang out from her Xiulis as she approached them.

 _They're the ones whose happiness you need to be concerned with, Chu Qiao_ , she thought as she pulled He Xiao aside. _Not yours._

* * *

Additional AN: Some of Chu Qiao's opening pitch to Yuwen Yue is a paraphrase of what she says in canon (except the bit about Yan Xun's hate, which I quoted simply because I thought it was a good icebreaker).


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Alright, y'all. This is the last "setup" chapter, so from here on out, it's all systems go. I'll be posting updates every Friday, so I'll have time to write ahead and to make sure my moving parts move the way I want them to. Some of YWY's talk with the princess is paraphrased/quoted from canon because those talking points fit well in the story. I hope you enjoy.

* * *

"She's going to do _what_?"

Yuwen Yue kept his unflappable mask firmly in place even though his own sense of inner turmoil was likely greater than Yuan Song's thanks to Xing'er's revelation about her parentage. He mentally kicked himself for being too blind to see the truth even when it had been staring him in the face, but Xing'er had always had that effect on him. Maybe he hadn't wanted to make the connection between Luo He's lost daughter and Xing'er and had willfully put the matter out of his mind.

"Xing'er and Zhong Yu are going to get rid of Cheng Yuan and his associates while Mister Wu uses his political clout to convince the wealthy, important families to back you as ruler of Yanbei," Yuwen Yue once again managed to calmly summarize Xing'er's plan for his friend.

Meng Feng and Yue Qi both had skeptical expressions that mirrored the one on Yuan Song's face. The four of them were seated around Yuwen Yue's table in the ransacked Meilin village that they were currently holed up in. None of them seemed impressed by Xing'er's scheme.

"Out of those three, the only one I'd trust would be Chu Qiao, and that's not saying much," Yuan Song said, shaking his head. "While she did escort me and Chun'er safely back to Wei, that doesn't mean I'd trust her to lead a coup on my behalf."

"While the plan itself isn't as well-crafted as I'd like," Yuwen Yue said diplomatically, "I would argue that we can trust Xing'er to deliver on most of her promises individually. For example, most of us here know what Xing'er does when she feels that she and, most importantly, people for whom she feels responsible are in danger. How does she typically react to that kind of threat?"

"She fights her way out and then runs," Yue Qi said, shaking his head. "Even if her plans aren't always sound long-term, she generally finds ways to make them work in the short-term."

"Right," said Yuwen Yue. "Xing'er has just lost many of her Xiulis because of what was obviously a plot, and she now knows just how big of a threat Cheng Yuan and his allies are. She realizes that she and the rest of her Xiulis are in danger and will likely act accordingly. What do you think will happen when she takes her vengeance on those she sees as responsible for the death of her men?"

"Chaos," Yuan Song muttered.

"So how should we prepare ourselves for that chaos—and how should we respond?" Yuwen Yue asked the room at large.

"By taking advantage of it the best we can," Yue Qi said, comprehension dawning on his face.

"I hate to be the one to bring this up," Yuan Song said softly, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. "But-"

"But their plan doesn't mention how to get rid of the leadership at the top," Meng Feng finished for him, smiling softly.

Yuan Song returned her smile with one of his own, and Yuwen Yue felt glad that at least someone might end up happy after this business was over.

 _If any of us survive…_

"That's where the 'taking advantage' part comes into play, right, Master?" Yue Qi asked.

"Exactly," Yuwen Yue said more calmly than he felt within. "Xing'er is going to get her vengeance and do her best to save as many of what she sees as her people as she can in the process. Nothing we say or do can change that. But if we can carry out our original plans for Yan Xun while Xing'er and Zhong Yu are getting rid of Yan Xun's top leadership..."

"Then we would stand a much better chance of being able to negotiate peace with my brother—and to save tens if not hundreds of thousands of innocent lives," Yuan Song said thoughtfully.

"But Master," Yue Qi said hesitantly, "if we assassinate Yan Xun, won't that make our allies turn on us?I'm assuming that they're planning on a more peaceful fate for their current leader."

Yuwen Yue sat silently for a few moments.

"From what I know of Zhong Yu and Wu Daoya, they are both pragmatists who are willing to do whatever it takes to get the best outcome for themselves and Yanbei regardless of the method. Zhong Yu especially understands the necessity of sometimes doing hard things in order to get good results, and Mister Wu is a long-time strategist who understands the nature of politics better than most. Many of the old families never embraced Yan Xun to begin with and just want to be allowed to continue living their lavish lifestyles. Xing'er..."

Yuwen Yue lapsed into silence again, noting the general air of awkwardness in the room as everyone else drew their own conclusions.

"Xing'er will see this as a personal betrayal," Yue Qi finished for his master.

"She'll likely blame me," Yuwen Yue confirmed. "However, I think that her commitment to protecting her people will overrule her anger at me enough to allow the plan to go forward anyway. Once Yan Xun's gone, who could she back that wouldn't instantly ignite a war with Wei? Even if she wanted Mister Wu to rule Yanbei, she—and everyone else involved in this plan—would likely be perceptive enough to realize that Wei would never accept the mastermind of Yan Xun's rebellion as the leader of Yanbei."

"We'd better all be far away when Chu Qiao realizes how we've altered this plan," Yuan Song said, shivering slightly.

"I'm glad I'll likely be here standing guard," Yue Qi agreed.

"And since I'll be the one sneaking into the palace to assassinate Yan Xun, then none of you will have to worry about facing Xing'er's wrath," Meng Feng said quietly.

Yuwen Yue managed to conceal his surprise at the former Afterlife Camp assassin's announcement and asked his questions as if he were merely playing Devil's Advocate.

"Why just you? Why not put our people back in place the way that we did before?"

"First of all," Meng Feng said, holding up a finger, "I'm the best assassin you have outside of yourself. While nobody's better than you, nobody else here is better than me; that's the simple truth."

"Second," she said, putting up another finger, "I'm already familiar with the layout of the city and the best hiding places in it. Sneaking around by myself will be easier than trying to sneak around with several other people, too."

Meng Feng held up a third finger.

"Also, you know that, push comes to shove, I'm capable of getting in, doing the job, and getting out undetected—especially if I go in alone. The fewer people involved in this, the better."

"Then why shouldn't I do it?" Yuwen Yue asked Meng Feng. "All of those points could apply to me, too. Why should you have to do this and not me?"

Meng Feng lowered the fingers she'd been holding up and closed her hand into a fist.

"Because I don't have any memories at all of Yan Xun," she said quietly. "I know that you could get the job done if you had to and wouldn't let old sentiments get in the way, but you shouldn't have to. Please, Master. Let me do this for you—for all of us."

Yuwen Yue sat lost in thought for a few moments.

"Let me think about it," he said quietly. "We still have a few days before we have to decide."

"A few days?" Yuan Song asked, deliberately widening his eyes. "I think this plan needs to be worked on for at least a few months!"

Everyone chuckled as the mood lightened slightly. Yuwen Yue was thankful that his friend had maintained a sense of humor that could survive even in these chaotic times. That sentiment reminded him of his comment to Xing'er about her own sense of humor, and he became pensive again.

 _I'm going to keep the news about Xing'er's parentage to myself for now,_ he thought, keeping his face blank. _I doubt the Underworld will come anyway—especially given Xing'er's conditions. They'll never give up their feud with us, not with all of the things we've done to one another throughout the generations. Xing'er's so naive—but that innocent simplicity is one of the many things I love about her regardless of how much trouble it causes me._

As his friends continued to talk about the plan, Yuwen Yue pulled out his writing utensils. After all, he had a couple of letters to write.

* * *

Dong Fang Ji ran a hand over his mustache as he contemplated the contents of what he assumed to be Yuwen Yue's real letter that one of his men had, fortunately, intercepted before it had been able to reach His Highness. He'd been able to identify the other letter as a fake in large part because he was currently holding the authentic missive in his hands. The letter from the leader of the Eyes of God detailed the basics of a scheme that would result in the end of Yan Xun's rebellion and the solid beginnings of a plan for peace.

As he looked down at the letter once again in the light of the brazier in his room, he sneered in contempt at the notion of giving Yanbei any chance to bargain for what he knew the young prince could simply take. Dong Fang Ji knew that Prince Xiang had ambition, but he also knew that the seventh prince could be too sentimental and weak if he were in a certain frame of mind. He was certain that he'd be able to curtail those flaws in what he was sure would be the next emperor of Wei given enough time.

 _One large step in giving Xiang the drive to conquer the other nations around us is to give him a taste of victory—and what better chance will we ever get than a weakened Yanbei? If I allow—and even encourage—the first half of the plan to go forth, then I'll be sending Prince Xiang and his large army down upon a destabilized, leaderless Yanbei that will be in no position to mobilize its troops, much less fight back._

His eyebrows crinkled as he frowned in thought about what the young prince would do if he came upon a Yanbei that failed to provide any resistance to him. Would he have the guts to do what needed to be done or would he actually be willing to make a deal with them?

 _I must stop the second half of that plan from succeeding. In fact, if I can make sure that Yuan Song and Yuwen Yue die at the hands of the people of Yanbei, then nothing would stop Prince Xiang from burning Yanbei to the ground. I could even blame the entire situation on the rebels and convince His Highness that his brother and his close friend had been victims of a rebel double-cross._

Footsteps sounded outside his door, and Dong Fang Ji dropped Yuwen Yue's letter into the brazier. He watched it burn impassively, already mentally penning a missive of his own to his men in Yanbei.

 _I'll tell them to do everything in their power to ensure the overthrow of Yanbei's current leaders, but I'll also tell them to do anything they can to make sure that Yuan Song and Yuwen Yue will be in no position to lobby for peace with Yanbei. I would have them take out Wu Daoya, too, but he would make an excellent scapegoat to blame for this rebellion. After all, he's already planned one rebellion, so maybe his plotting of Yan Xun's rebellion was just a front for his own ambitions all along. I'm sure I'll be able to convince His Highness of this perspective when the time comes._

Dong Fang Ji smiled in anticipation, already planning what he would say to the soon-to-be emperor at their upcoming meeting.

* * *

"Yes, I've known for awhile now that Xing'er is Luo He's daughter," Yuwen Yue said to Xiao Yu, his face remaining as impassive as ever.

 _Well, "awhile" is an imprecise term, after all; surely a few days counts as "awhile"..._

"With all of my own resources and intelligence, of course I found out."

 _Maybe I should've tried harder to figure out the identity of my pen friend, although this situation is so fantastical and ridiculous that I can't even blame myself for not knowing._

"So how can you stand there and coldly speak to me of 'sides' and 'perspectives' while risking everything you have to protect a woman who was born to be your enemy the same as I? How well does she know you? What is she willing to give up for you? Why do you care so much for a woman who will never love you as much as she loves the man she left you for?"

Yuwen Yue managed to calmly tell Xiao Yu that some things should not be spoken of and that others needed to be forgotten before clasping his sword in his hands and saying, "May we never meet again."

He walked away from the conversation slowly, both because of the lingering poison in his system and the punch-drunk feeling that he had thanks to receiving his second personal shock in the last three days. While he was grateful that Xing'er had told him the truth about the identity of her mother so that he could remain collected in front of the princess, he couldn't help but feel that, their last spoken words notwithstanding, he would see Xiao Yu again—and sooner rather than later.

Yuwen Yue could now understand Xing'er's pain about realizing that Yan Xun wasn't the man she'd thought he'd been now that he'd had his beloved pen friend ripped away from himself so cruelly. While he knew that his and Xing'er's situations were different since many of the warning signs about Yan Xun's temperament had been visible—at least to him-before her realization had come, he still understood the pain that came from that sudden lifting of the veil.

He had poured his heart out to what he'd thought had been a man like himself, only to discover that that "man" had actually been his female archenemy. While he understood why she'd tried to use Xing'er against him when pleading her case, he still couldn't help but be angry at the princess for her method of manipulation.

 _Xing'er may have been born my enemy, but she doesn't even have those memories anymore. Misunderstandings, mistakes, and Fate put us on opposite sides, not the happenstances of birth. Besides, most of the things that Xiao Yu has done have been selfish and opportunistic, while most of the things that Xing'er has done have been for the benefit of those she loves. Xing'er may relish a kill because of righteous anger, but she doesn't delight in deception and chaos like Xiao Yu does._

Yuwen Yue allowed his mouth to form a wry grin since he knew that nobody but the forest animals would see it.

 _Of course, my opinion of Xing'er is not exactly unbiased…_

Outside of being one of his favorite things to do in general, thinking about the woman he loved helped to salve his wounds left by the woman he'd just left behind. He would miss the emotional release that writing to his pen friend had given him, but he couldn't help but fantasize about the possibility of Xing'er coming to fulfill that role for him if things went their way.

 _Which happens how often?_

While Yuwen Yue knew that the odds were, as usual, not in his favor in regards to having a future with Xing'er, her switching sides—or at least forming her own side and inviting him to join it—had improved their odds. Her words and actions had also confirmed for him that, the Liang princess's barbs aside, Xing'er wasn't in love with Yan Xun; that thought alone managed to put a little swagger in his gait as he strode through the moonlit night back towards their Meilin hideout.

* * *

Zhong Yu knew from experience that planning a rebellion was time-consuming—especially when you didn't have much time to begin with. They all felt that sense of time running out that told them that if they didn't act now, they'd miss their chance to save Yanbei and the others they loved.

 _More to the point,_ Zhong Yu mused as she walked through the streets of Hongchuan, _A'Chu feels time running out, and I've learned to trust her instincts in that regard._

She and the man she loved had spent the bulk of the past couple of days getting ready to execute their plan, which would begin this night. Ostensibly, she and Mister Wu were preparing to depart for Lan City, but they had really been talking to the old families in the area. Zhong Yu knew that there was a certain amount of risk involved in doing so since any of Yan Xun's eyes and ears could notice, but what wasn't a risk these days?

 _Speaking of risks…_ Zhong Yu thought as she spotted A'Jing striding confidently towards her.

The two of them had been friends for a long time, and they had grown close during the time they'd spent together in the Oriole Courtyard protecting Yan Xun. While she wanted to confide their plans to him, she was unsure that she could trust her old friend to be willing to do the things that they were going to have to do to bring their plan to fruition.

She smiled sadly at him, hoping he would assume that she was preparing to leave Yanbei with Mister Wu. His own face fell in response, and she felt a pang of regret that she was going to have to deceive him.

 _While I value his friendship and I know that he cares for me and A'Chu, I simply don't think he'd be willing to leave Yan Xun. Unlike the three of us, he has nobody alive left to protect. I know he's disturbed by some of the things Yan Xun's done, but Yan Xun's all he has now—outside of A'Chu and me._

"Are you almost ready to leave, Miss Yu?" A'Jing asked.

"It won't be long now," Zhong Yu replied honestly.

"Are you sure you won't reconsider returning? Yan Xun needs your help to run things, after all."

Zhong Yu couldn't resist the opportunity to feel her friend out a bit to see if he might be willing to embrace change.

"Why should I come back?" she asked her old friend. "When was the last time Yan Xun actually listened to anything I said? For that matter, when was the last time Yan Xun listened to anything someone other than Cheng Yuan or one of his people said? I don't think I can do any more good here with things the way they currently are, so why should I bother?"

A'Jing's eyes widened and he looked around to make sure no one had overheard.

"Miss Yu!" he said softly, almost whispering. "You shouldn't say things like that. His Highness has simply been under a lot of stress lately. I'm sure that once things settle down a bit that he'll return to his normal self."

"I saw how concerned you were at that sham trial Yan Xun held for the Xiulis. Was that normal? Is that what we have to look forward to? For that matter, is the exile of loyal people like Mister Wu what we have to look forward to as a nation?"

A'Jing shuffled his feet uncomfortably, and Zhong Yu wondered if she'd succeeded in reaching her friend. The big man sighed, his armor shifting slightly.

"As I said, I know His Highness has been under a tremendous amount of stress lately—he's even been having bad headaches. But once we settle things here and conquer Chang'an, things will finally be the way that we always wanted them to be. Our dead families will finally be avenged, and we'll all be able to rest at peace."

Zhong Yu thought that she might've been able to convince her friend gradually if she'd have had more time, but the cold reality was that their time was almost up. She could sense beneath the surface her friend's concern for the direction Yanbei was heading, but she could also feel that A'Jing simply wasn't at the place at which she, A'Chu, and Mister Wu had already arrived.

"I hope you're right, A'Jing," Zhong Yu said, smiling wanly. "And who knows? Maybe things will improve so much that I'll be able to come back after all."

"It'll be like old times," A'Jing said, smiling wistfully.

 _It already is like old times,_ Zhong Yu thought sadly as she remembered the hours and hours of planning they'd done for Yan Xun's rebellion what felt like another lifetime ago.

"Yes, it will," she said, smiling politely back.

"Miss Yu, take care," A'Jing said courteously, clasping his hands and bowing to her. "I will leave first."

Zhong Yu said her farewells and watched her old friend continue on his way with a heavy heart. She knew she couldn't save everyone, but not being able to trust A'Jing hurt.

 _I just hope he stays out of the way tonight,_ she thought, gaining a small bit of insight into how A'Chu felt every time she'd known she might have to face Yuwen Yue on the battlefield.

She started walking to the next home she was supposed to visit, her mind trying to formulate her political sales pitch but her mind refusing to focus anywhere but her old friends.

 _Could I really kill A'Jing in battle? Could A'Chu really kill Yuwen Yue? Could any of us kill Yan Xun if our backs were against the wall?_

Zhong Yu shoved those thoughts aside as she presented herself at the door of her next appointment, polite smile already plastered on her face.

* * *

As Yuwen Yue walked briskly through the forest near their Meilin hideout, he engaged his mind in running through their part of tonight's plan. He knew that his visit with "Brother Yu" had altered their schedule since they'd planned to move out in the early morning, but he'd never been able to deny his pen friend anything.

 _Until last night, that is…_

The spymaster set aside those feelings as he'd been trained to do and concentrated on mentally preparing himself for the day and night ahead. They'd need to move out in the early afternoon; maybe he could even take a short nap beforehand if all went well. Meng Feng would head for Yanbei on her own to assassinate Yan Xun as they'd agreed upon, even though the idea made him uneasy. So much could go wrong for an agent alone, after all. Their resources were stretched thin as it was, however, and the others would be needed elsewhere.

He and some of his Yue guards would stay behind to guard Yuan Song and the children; after all, keeping Yuan Song safe was an integral part of the plan. Without the thirteenth prince, the entire scheme fell apart.

The remaining Afterlife Camp assassins and Yue guards would head for Xiuli Mountain in order to get rid of Cheng Yuan's spies and soldiers that had been stationed in the area to alert the leaders of any potential threat posed by the Xiuli troop. Once that was done, they'd strip the bodies down, don those uniforms, and pose as the guards and spies themselves.

Once they were given the all-clear, the Xiulis would retrieve the weapons that they'd stashed in caches around Xiuli Mountain. The Xiulis and their leader were all somewhat paranoid, so they'd stripped some of the dead soldiers of weapons after the battle of Hongchuan and had hidden the swords, daggers, and other items in places where only they could find them. Cheng Yuan may have restricted the Xiulis' weapons, but he hadn't accounted for the wariness of his adversaries.

Yuwen Yue noted with a bit of unease that the woods seemed quieter than they normally were. Any number of factors could have contributed that—starting with his own presence there, of course. Still, his senses sharpened as he paid more attention to his surroundings. Sensing trouble in the air, he picked up his pace as he neared the outskirts of the town. He hurriedly resumed his mental run-down of the plan in case he had to deal with a bad situation in the near future.

Outside of Meng Feng, their people wouldn't have to do anything more until after the assassinations were done and Xing'er and Zhong Yu had escaped undetected. Xing'er would, of course, ride for Xiuli Mountain to pick up her troops while Zhong Yu was supposed to ride for the Meilin border to escort Yuan Song to their agreed-upon meeting place.

Mister Wu would already be outside of the city, having already done the bulk of his work the day before and having "left for Lan City" earlier in the day. He trusted Zhong Yu to provide the man she loved with proper security—especially given how bloodthirsty and protective he knew her to be. In all honesty, Yuwen Yue saw a bit of Xing'er in Zhong Yu, but he felt that his Xing'er had a core of integrity and innocence inside of her that the more seasoned warrior lacked.

 _Once again, my impartiality in regards to Xing'er rears its head…_

Yuwen Yue had not always succeeded in being honest himself where the woman he loved was concerned, but he'd been unable to lie to himself over the past few days about his hopes for the future. He wasn't stupid; he'd already acknowledged to himself earlier that so much could go wrong over the next day or two that they might not even survive to have a future. Or maybe everything would go right, but she'd be too angry and upset at the assassination of Yan Xun to ever forgive him. But given Xing'er's efforts to make peace and the way she'd softened towards him of late…

Images of the future ran through his mind as he tried to push them aside in favor of plans regarding the public support of Yuan Song by the wealthy families and the ascension of Yuan Song to the throne of Yanbei. Then there would be peace with Wei, and after…

Yuwen Yue's pleasant musings came to an abrupt halt as he finally broke the tree line near their little town and saw the first bodies. While he could sense no living people nearby, he drew Po Yue Jian just in case. Slowly proceeding into the city, he noted with approval that, as usual, there were far more bodies of Yanbei troops than of his own people.

Still, he grieved inside as he realized that too many of his people had died protecting the young prince. He was relieved to see no sign of Yuan Song, Meng Feng, Yue Qi, or the children among the bodies, so he hoped that they'd followed the plan of retreat that they'd formed when they'd first come to this town.

The spymaster checked the bodies of his Yue guards and Afterlife Camp assassins, but none of them was alive. He made sure to take all of the seals in their possession, however, so that nobody could do what he was about to do in order to finish this particular game of chess that he and Yan Xun had been playing. While Yuwen Yue was tempted to track down his friends and protect them personally, he knew that the best way that he could save their lives was to eliminate their biggest threat.

He walked through the town, making sure that he'd missed nothing and no one. He found footprints leading out of town on the escape route that they'd planned, and he was relieved to see big and small footprints represented. Yuwen Yue did his best to obscure the footprints, making the tracking of his friends by outsiders that much more difficult.

They'd all understood that this scenario could happen one day and had planned accordingly. Not only had they crafted a couple of escape routes, but they'd also worked out where they'd go and what they'd take if they could. Yuwen Yue had set aside a bag of his belongings in a shabby building that he'd figured nobody would bother to ransack; he was relieved to discover that he'd been right to do so since he saw no evidence that anybody had even bothered to enter it.

He went in and quickly retrieved his sack, looking inside it to make sure that all was still there and in good working order. He noted that his dagger, small crossbow, and black bat wings were all ready to go, so he'd have everything he'd need to do the type of work for which he'd been training since he was a young boy. While simply putting on his familiar black robes right now was tempting, he figured that he might be safer traveling through Yanbei as a returning soldier who had stopped to help himself to a bit of battle booty before returning home.

Yuwen Yue found a likely candidate and stripped him down, taking off his own worse-for-wear white robes and replacing them with a Yanbei soldier's uniform that wasn't any better. What was better, however, was the officer's seal that he'd found on the body that should get him past any gate guards with ease. While he was comfortable sneaking into the city at night, he figured that his task would be easier if he could get in during the day and check the Eyes of God headquarters there for any useful information or maps he could find—and to get in place for what had now become his part of the plan, of course.

If he was particularly lucky, maybe he'd be able to let Xing'er know that his men wouldn't be able to take out the spies around the Xiulis-or maybe he'd straggle into the city near sundown and count himself lucky to have made it safely at all. As he hefted the sack over his shoulder and left the little town at the Meilin border behind, he could swear that he felt eyes boring a hole in his back.


	4. Chapter 4

Yuwen Yue was huddled in a shadowy corner that was near enough to Yan Xun's rooms to be useful but far enough away that it wasn't as frequently patrolled as the other areas. He was thankful for the cloud cover and the fact that the moon was only a slim crescent on those few times when it managed to break through the overcast night sky. Dressed as he was in his black robes and wings, he knew that only someone lucky—or unlucky, as the case may be—would be able to spot him as he waited for the right time to eliminate his target.

" _Eliminate my target." How professional that sounds. Simple and clean. Businesslike. Straightforward. I'm going to "eliminate my target." Of course, "slit the throat of a man I once considered to be my brother" just doesn't have that spy-like ring to it. No; better to stay detached._

"Don't ever let your feelings get involved, Yue'er!" He could hear his grandfather say."This is your destiny, the job you were meant to do. All feelings do is get in the way and get you hurt."

And yet Yuwen Yue had to admit that he was here largely because of feelings. True, he could talk about duty to his country and to the young prince he'd sworn to protect. After all, he was here to get rid of Yuan Song's—and all of Wei's—biggest threat so that a peace plan could be crafted as a result. However, if he were honest with himself—as he'd been forced to be more often than usual over the past several days—he had to admit that one of the main reasons he was here was because he knew that Xing'er was here preparing to do something dangerous.

Not that he didn't have faith in her deadly abilities; he was quite aware of what she was capable of in that regard. He knew Zhong Yu to be a professional, too, and wasn't worried that she'd slip up. Not that he didn't genuinely care about his friends and country; he valued them greatly. The simple truth was that when his options had been to chase after his friends and dwindling force so that they could hole up in another ransacked town or to assassinate what was left of his once closest friend so that he could be near Xing'er if something went wrong, he'd made what had been to him the obvious choice.

Yuwen Yue's musings were interrupted by the sound of footsteps walking exactly where and when he'd expected them to be. He knew this to be the changing of the guard, and his senses sharpened as the time of infiltration drew nearer. In a little while, he knew that a servant girl would take a tray of tea to Yan Xun's chamber so that he could have a little drink before going to bed. The spymaster knew that he had to time his entry just right so that he would be getting in after the guards had settled in for the night watch but before the servant came with her tea.

His nose flared slightly as he once again caught what seemed like a familiar scent wafting on the slight breeze. There were so many smells all around him that he had a hard time differentiating between them, but every once in awhile, his keen sense of smell would alert him to the presence of the trace of a scent from home and then it would be gone again. Yuwen Yue put the issue out of his mind and focused on more important things.

 _Like what the Xiulis are going to do when we don't show up to kill Cheng Yuan's spies. The streets were practically overran with Yanbei troops this evening, and I didn't want to risk being exposed by someone who would've recognized me even if I had known where to look for Xing'er._

Yuwen Yue had spent his time profitably, however, by reading servant and soldier rotation schedules left behind in the Eyes of God hideout by someone who had obviously infiltrated the palace servants recently. He'd also found a map of the palace itself and its surrounding areas, so he knew where he needed to go and how to get there. If all went well, he'd be able to tell Xing'er the news about the Xiulis himself and they'd be able to take care of the situation on their own before too much time passed.

His impeccable sense of timing was telling him that the moment for him to make his move had come, so he put himself in the mental space necessary for him to become Yuwen Yue, the leader of the Eyes of God. All traces of humor and caring disappeared from his face as he became the gifted spy he'd been trained to be from boyhood. Yuwen Yue left one shadow for another as he began to make his way towards the rooms of the ruler of Yanbei.

* * *

After taking a cautious peek through the small slash she'd put in Cheng Yuan's tent earlier, Chu Qiao swiftly crawled through the opening and out into the dark night beyond. Her face was blank and emotionless, her senses heightened as she quickly scanned the area for any sign that someone had noticed her. Nobody had, though, not on a cloudy night like this. She started walking casually through the encampment, acting as if she didn't have a care in the world.

Besides, if someone saw her as she was now, why would they think anything was amiss? So what if Chu Da Ren was dressed all in black and walking through the army camp? Who was going to question Yan Xun's woman about her recent activities?

 _For that's what they think I am, even though that couldn't be further from the truth—especially now._

Chu Qiao put all thoughts of the troubled ruler of Yanbei out of her mind as she focused on the task at hand. Killing Cheng Yuan and the other officers sharing that tent had been as simple a matter as she'd expected it to be. She'd caught them all unawares and had slit all of their throats as easily as if she'd been carving pieces of meat.

 _Which is all they are now,_ she thought in grim satisfaction. _While part of me wishes that I could've killed them in combat for all to see, part of me feels that this was a fitting death for them—especially Cheng Yuan._

A slight scuffling sound caused her to break out of her pleasant reverie, but she realized with relief that the sound had been made by a rat that seemed to be in search of something to eat.

 _Maybe he'll find his way to Cheng Yuan's tent,_ she thought, gleefully imagining the once proud general serving as rat food in humiliating fashion. _Not that his death itself wasn't humiliating—especially to a man like him. He thought he was so strong, so smart, so cunning. And yet here he is, dead meat after being killed by a woman he looked down on, a woman he thought he'd already beaten._

In the darkness of the cloud-shrouded crescent moon and far from the large braziers burning brightly on the other side of the tents, Chu Qiao allowed a savage smile to form on her face. She knew she couldn't allow it to linger, but she allowed herself to savor her moment of vengeance.

 _Cheng Yuan,_ she thought as her next target's tent came into view, _you set my men up so that they would be knifed in the back while kneeling in the foul muck as if they were nothing. Now, on their behalf—and on behalf of the innocent people like Xing Xing and her family that you've slaughtered—I've killed you as if you were nothing. Now I'm not going to give you another thought because I have more important matters to attend to._

As Chu Qiao approached the back of the tent of the next men who had to die, all traces of Chu Da Ren, the avenger of her Xiuli troops, disappeared. By the time that she'd carefully slit a small entrance in the back of the large, white tent, she was once again that odd mix of Chu Qiao and Xing'er who could deal death as casually as other people could socialize at a party or buy a lantern at a festival. She was all business—especially since her next target was a general she was taking out for practical rather than personal reasons.

In all honesty, he was more of a tragic figure than an evil one. He, like so many, had lost his entire family several years ago to the ravages of the Wei soldiers and had craved vengeance ever since. She and Zhong Yu knew full well that as long as this man remained in a position of power, Yanbei would never be at peace with Wei. She vowed to herself to give him a quick, clean death free of the fierce, feral grin she'd given to Cheng Yuan in those few seconds between the swipe of her small knife and the final dimming of his eyes.

Taking a final look around, she swiftly rolled forward into the tent, coming up in a defensive crouch. She needn't have bothered; her target seemed to be sound asleep. She straightened up slowly, once again pulling out what looked like an ornamental hairpiece but which was actually a small, sharp blade. Chu Qiao had always had an affinity for such weapons, and in times like these, sticking with what you knew was wise.

She gripped her small assassin's knife in her hand, slowly creeping towards her next victim. Zhong Yu was hopefully doing the same thing on the other side of the encampment, bringing the potential for peace for Yanbei closer to reality one kill at a time. She and her old friend were doing this so that others would not have to and so that numerous innocent lives could be saved in the long run. Of course, many wouldn't see the situation that way, but when you lived in chaotic times, sometimes you had to do the best you could with what you had.

 _Besides,_ Chu Qiao thought coldly as she prepared to strike, _was it not Yan Xun himself who once said that there was a price for everything and that you could only have peace through war?_

* * *

Yuwen Yue had succeeded in creeping past the various soldiers and servants that had been attending to their duties inside of Yan Xun's palace. He mentally thanked the Eyes of God operative that had left such useful maps and notes behind in the hideout; none of the information had been proven wrong yet. Not that everything had gone fully according to schedule; the whispered word around the palace was that their leader was ill and that his doctor had given strict orders for everyone to leave him alone for the rest of the night for the good of his health.

As Yuwen Yue neared the room that he knew contained his one-time friend, he noticed that the lighting inside was dimmer than in the rest of the palace. He added that information to what he'd heard outside of Yan Xun's rooms and concluded that the young ruler must be suffering from a severe headache.

 _This could end up working in my favor,_ the spymaster thought as he crept into the room in which Yan Xun was likely sleeping. _Less light is always good—as is less interruption._

He settled into a shadowy corner that was hidden from view by both a large, ornate vase and a sizable statue resting on a tall pedestal. Yuwen Yue couldn't see clearly through the beaded curtain that separated Yan Xun's sleeping area from the rest of the room, so he closed his eyes and deliberately engaged his other senses.

Immediately, his senses jangled the warning of _blood!_ thathad served him well as an operative. His eyes flew open, and he swiftly and softly drew the dagger that he always carried with him on such missions. Closing his eyes had also helped to adjust them to the dimness, so he could now make out the shape of his former good friend lying somewhat haphazardly on his bed.

Yuwen Yue continued to strain his eyes, not wanting to leave his safe place before he'd figured out what was going on. Before he could see fully, however, his nose identified another smell: the familiar one from outside, except in much higher concentration. As his mind matched the scent with a name, his now fully-adjusted eyes landed on the unmistakable form of a white rabbit's tail, the turquoise handle attached to it looped around a red-stained hand of the now-former ruler of Yanbei.

The spymaster's eyes widened as he realized that the one who had slit Yan Xun's throat from ear to ear had been the woman who had once loved him. He had mixed feelings about that fact that he figured that he'd examine at a less dangerous time since his inner timekeeper told him that-

A high-pitched shriek followed by the sound of smashing crockery confirmed his suspicions. Apparently this particular maid had either not gotten the message about not being allowed into Yan Xun's rooms or she was simply a stubborn and willful creature who was going to do whatever she wanted.

 _Not that I have any experience with anyone like that,_ Yuwen Yue thought as he put his own escape plan into action.

After studying the palace map in the Eyes of God hideout, Yuwen Yue had, like any seasoned operative, crafted an alternative plan that he could implement in case the assassination attempt had to be aborted. The pounding of feet sounded right outside of Yan Xun's rooms, so he bolted for the staircase and ran up it just as the room he'd left filled with shouts and yells.

Not even bothering with stealth, Yuwen Yue pelted down the hallway, thankful that anyone who might be inside of those rooms seemed to be prudently staying out of the situation. He hoped that the door to the small room the map had shown him would be unlocked and that the area outside of the window would be just as remote as the map had seemed to indicate.

Yuwen Yue reached the door and pushed on it, gratified to feel it give beneath his hand. He wasted no time in entering the room and shutting the door behind him, holding his knife in front of him just in case anyone was inside. Nobody was, so he quickly strode to the window and cracked it open. As he had hoped, nobody was in that particular courtyard area yet, so he easily hopped out of the window and into the dark night. After swiftly scanning the area, he sheathed his knife, figuring that speed and two free hands would serve him better in the open than a short blade.

The spymaster realized that he'd been lucky so far, so he predicted that his good fortune would likely not last much longer. He managed to dart from bush to bush without detection, but he heard distant shouts as he hurled his grappling hook to the top of the palace's wall and climbed up it.

He dropped down on the other side, stowing the hook away in his black robes with the rest of his spy paraphernalia. Pounding boots rang out on the street nearby, so Yuwen Yue took off towards a small alley that he knew would take him away from the palace and towards the city ramparts that faced the road to Xiuli Mountain. While he knew that Xing'er likely wouldn't be happy to see him given the circumstances, he didn't even try to fight his natural inclination to assure himself of her safety in such a time as this.

The spymaster exited the alley onto a main street and realized that his good luck had finally turned bad as he was surrounded by at least a dozen Yanbei soldiers. While he couldn't see their features in the meagre light provided by the crescent moon, he could tell by sight, sound, and smell that their uniforms were brand new and relatively clean.

They came at him as one, and he drew Po Yue Jian from inside his robes. He hoped that his bat wings would somehow survive the fight or else his escape was going to be even more exciting than he'd planned. The soldiers were no match for his experience and skill, and he slashed his way through them as easily as he'd expected to do. Yuwen Yue had known that they'd posed no threat to him, but he understood the danger of the attention that this fight would draw his way.

As he disarmed one man and sliced into another, he realized that the soldiers' formation and fighting style was different from every other one that he'd encountered among Yanbei troops. He'd fought against most of the different Yanbei legions in his defense of Yuan Song, and he'd never come up against a group with this particular method of combat. In fact, it reminded him more of a style that he might come up against in the field on a mission rather than on a field of battle.

"Let's go!" one of the few remaining soldiers shouted to a limping comrade. "We need to survive so we can report back to the master!"

The other soldier seemed all too eager to comply, and Yuwen Yue was equally glad to allow them to leave in exchange for the few extra seconds that killing them would've taken. He knew that he would think about the strange soldiers more in-depth once he'd escaped, but he turned his focus to more immediate problems. Sounds of yelling and chaos were ringing out throughout the entire city, now, as people were shouting the news of the death of their leader.

As he reached the bottom of the stone stairway that would carry him up to the top of the ramparts, he raised Po Yue Jian in front of him and braced himself for the inevitable fight that he'd have to win in order to reach the top of the city walls. Warning shouts sounded on the ramparts as he was spotted, and Yuwen Yue had no more time to think about anything other than the warriors boiling down the steps towards him.

* * *

Chu Qiao's small knife descended towards the general's throat but instinctively halted as a loud cry sounded from the gateway leading from the city to the encampment. She couldn't tell what the man was saying since he was too far away and she was in this tent, but she knew that this development meant nothing good for their plan.

The general's eyes popped open and widened in hazy alarm, and Chu Qiao knew herself to be out of time. She swiftly drew her knife across her target's throat and was already running for the back of the tent before he rattled his final breath. Stirring sounds were emanating from the other areas of the tent, so she took a chance and dove out into the open without looking first.

She straightened up just in time to look reasonably innocent as soldiers began pouring out of their tents to see what was happening. Other people had taken up the cry of the soldier who had run to warn the encampment of what was going on in the city, and the news they were shouting almost drove Chu Qiao to her knees.

"Yan Xun's dead! Yan Xun's dead!" they were yelling, running around in disbelief and anger as they spread their message to any who would listen.

Chu Qiao's body flushed hot and then cold, and her knees went wobbly. Her brain gave her limbs about five directions at once, so she ended up wheeling around and taking several run-stumbling steps towards the city and the palace before coming to her senses. Before the grief and anger could overwhelm her, she shut her emotions down and shoved them to the back of her mind as she often could in situations like these.

 _Except the rage,_ she admitted to herself as she felt that old, familiar burn flare up inside of her. She welcomed the energy that the building rage brought her and hoped that it would be enough to see her through her escape.

 _For escape, I must,_ she thought grimly as she headed for the stable where the officers kept their horses. _Now that Yan Xun and the worst generals are dead, if we don't succeed in carrying out our plan, then Wei will destroy us if Yanbei doesn't tear itself to pieces first. If Zhong Yu and I can both escape and everything else goes according to plan, then maybe we can still salvage this situation—if Yuwen Yue and his people can even be trusted anymore._

Thinking about her old mentor stoked the rage building inside of her as she recognized a fundamental truth: the assassination of Yan Xun on the same night as her and Zhong Yu's assassination of the generals had Yuwen Yue's name written all over it. Even if he hadn't killed Yan Xun himself, he'd likely sent some of his people to do the deed for him. Her eyes filled with tears that she refused to allow to fall as she realized that she'd once again been betrayed by the man whom she'd come to trust again. She'd even begun to think…

 _Will you never learn, Chu Qiao? You might think you can trust him, but in the end, he's always going to do what he thinks is best for his personal agenda rather than what's best for you or the people you care about. Just because he kissed you once and told you he needed you doesn't mean that he won't get up to his old political tricks in situations like this._

Chu Qiao cautiously entered the barn and ran for her stabled horse when she realized that the place was otherwise empty. Her bay was waiting for her right where she'd left it, and she sighed with relief as she saw the comfortingly familiar hilt of Can Hong Jian peeking out from where she'd tucked it against the left side of the horse. She knew that the saddlebags contained a variety of supplies that would be helpful now that the future was so uncertain.

Mounting the horse with her typical graceful ease, she guided him out of the barn and rode at a normal pace for the gate at the back of the camp. The wooden stockade and guard towers loomed in the near distance, and she allowed some of her tears to fall and emotions to show for her upcoming interaction with the guards.

She rode forward, stopping when multiple soldiers told her to do so. Their aggressive stances relaxed once they brought their torches closer and realized who she was. Her tear-streaked, anguished face likely also helped; Chu Qiao knew how expressive her face could be and how effectively it could disarm men.

"Chu Da Ren," the highest-ranking guard said softly, "I thought you'd be up at the palace. What they said is true, right? Is he really…?"

Silence reigned at the gate for a few seconds as everybody seemed at a loss for words.

"I can't imagine that it's not true," Chu Qiao said, tears streaming down her face. "But I also don't feel that they really need me at the palace. We have many fine, brave soldiers, and I'm sure that if the assassin is still in the city, they'll catch him."

"If he's still...so you think that he might have already left?"

"Maybe," she said, curtly nodding once. "That's why I'm going to ride out and look for signs of anyone running away. I can't do anything for Yan Xun, but maybe I can get vengeance on his behalf. Besides...I just need to get out."

Wordlessly, the guards clasped their hands, bowed, and moved out of her way.

"Good hunting, Chu Da Ren!" one of them shouted after her as she trotted through the stockade gates and onto the road that would lead away from the city.

She made a show of riding for the tree line as if she were going to search for signs of the recent passage of an assassin so that the soldiers wouldn't be suspicious. Chu Qiao entered the woods and rode parallel to the road, exiting when she was out of sight of the back of the encampment. While she knew she still had to ride parallel to the city on the road before it curved towards Xiuli Mountain, she figured that the most dangerous part of her escape was behind her.

Kneeing her mount softly, she picked up the pace, glad that her horse's brown coat and black mane and tail would blend into the darkness of night. As she reached the part of the road where it arced away from the city and towards her troops, she sighed in relief.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of an instantly recognizable form silhouetted in the light of the torches lining the ramparts of the city. A fresh rush of rage raced through her as the figure jumped off of the ramparts, unfurled a familiar set of black wings, and flew straight towards her.

* * *

If Yuwen Yue were giving a report to his grandfather about how he was able to identify Xing'er from such a great distance on a practically moonless night even though she was riding a dark horse and dressed in black, he likely would've credited his keen eyesight and moved on with his briefing. The spymaster admitted to himself, however, that the simple reality was that he knew he would always be able to identify the form of the woman he loved even if he'd only gotten a single glimpse of her.

He'd trusted his judgment as he always had in such circumstances and had leaped from the ramparts and into thin air without a second thought. His wings had unfurled behind him, and he was now soaring through the cool night air towards the fleeing form of the woman he loved and feared more than any other. Yuwen Yue was no fool, and he realized that the welcome that he would soon receive from Xing'er might be colder—or hotter—than he'd like to contemplate.

He temporarily cast those fears from his mind and reveled in the simple, primal pleasure that flying through the air always gave him. While being a spy was a serious matter, he didn't feel guilty for savoring the few enjoyable moments that the occupation could at times provide. Flying with his wings had always heated his blood, and he grinned fiercely within at the sensation of the air rushing past his body as he gradually descended towards the fleeing figure who seemed to be keeping pace with him.

 _Not that it would completely surprise me if she just kept riding away and left me to face the soldiers of Yanbei alone,_ Yuwen Yue admitted to himself as he continued his gradual descent. _Not being able to kill me and not being able to allow me to die are two different things, after all._

A flash of white in the night that he assumed to be Xing'er's face briefly looked up at him, however, and his heart burned all the more as he realized that his woman was going to save him after all. His happiness was cut short as the twang of bowstrings sounded in the distance behind him. Yuwen Yue allowed his senses to take over as they instructed his body to move this way and that to avoid the few arrows that had been fired from the receding ramparts of the city.

Xing'er easily avoided them as well as they fell to the earth, and he felt a rush of pride for his former student. Even when she was dodging arrows, she did so with the same casual elegance that had captivated him the first time he'd ever seen her do so in the secret part of Qing Shan Yuan.

A second volley of arrows winged its way through the night, and Yuwen Yue realized with dismay that there were more arrows this time. Word of his presence—or, at least, the presence of a suspicious person capable of flying off of a wall and surviving—must have spread, increasing the number of archers firing at them. He turned as sideways as he could and avoided the ones that had been aimed at his back, but he was unable to prevent a couple of arrows from piercing his wings dead-center.

Yuwen Yue began to lurch and spin out of control, knowing that his landing was going to be quite unpleasant and that he would likely be seriously injured if he managed to survive at all. He managed to instinctively right himself, getting his legs underneath himself in preparation for sudden contact with the hard earth.

He heard a startled neighing and the sound of hoofs sliding in the dirt, however, and once again caught a flash of white not too far beneath him. This time, the white shape didn't disappear, and he could tell that Xing'er was doing her best to keep track of his location and to adjust her own speed accordingly. Yuwen Yue knew that what she was doing was dangerous and difficult, and he felt another warm wash of pride as he thought about the woman he loved.

And then she was beneath him, barely visible as the thumbnail shape of the crescent moon briefly broke through the clouds. Her eyes were wider than he'd ever seen them, and he wanted to believe that the cause of that was fear for his safety. She stood up in the saddle, her feet planted firmly in the stirrups as she made a place for him to land.

At the last moment, he twisted his hands inward, managing to grasp the tattered remains of his wings and pinch the rips together to gain a small measure of resistance. It wasn't much, but he felt himself lift up a little before he thumped down onto the back of the horse, causing it to neigh and rear in startlement.

Xing'er fell back into the saddle, and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her to stabilize them both. A final volley of arrows sounded behind them, but they all fell harmlessly to the ground and embedded themselves on the stretch of roadway that they had just vacated. Yuwen Yue knew that they were home-free, and he could tell from the slight relaxing of her slim body against him that she knew it, too.

No longer able to keep his emotions in check, he grinned fiercely into the night as his woman finally gave the horse its head and let it run hard for the safety of Xiuli Mountain and her troops. He tightened his arms around her, and she turned her head to look back at him in response. The anger, grief, rage, and tears that he now saw on her face rang familiar, painful bells of memory in his head, and the smile instantly disappeared from his lips. His heart plummeted as quickly as if it, too, had been shot in midair and sent falling to the earth.

* * *

AN: When I started fleshing this out into a larger story, I warned y'all that this wasn't going to be Green Hills Happyland. Things are going to get worse for our OTP before they get better because there are so many problems between them that must be resolved before true healing can occur. Canon didn't give us much in the way of our OTP actually resolving the issues between them, so I'm going to try to remedy that oversight. The next chapter is going to have some ugly moments in it, but that ugly will pay off big-time in the not-too-distant future when we reach a certain lake that is icy. If the icy lake is going to go differently, then CQ must realize and come to grips with certain truths before she gets there—which she can only do through being forced to do so since she'll never think about them otherwise. The next chapter's not going to showcase our OTP's finest hours, but there will be some pretty fine hours for them coming up later as a result. I promise I won't draw this out; in fact, I'll probably hand-wave a bit more than I should in order to get on with the XingYue goodness that y'all want to read (and that I want to write, honestly, if for no other reason than to GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD). But there will be XingYue goodness and a (reasonably) happy ending; there will be angst, but—unlike in the show—there will also be payoff.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Okay, guys. I told you that things were going to get worse for our OTP before they get better, and the worst is now upon us. The good news, however, is that if you can make it through these 8,000 words of angst, you'll have 9,000 words of pure XingYue resolution, reconciliation, and relationship progress to look forward to next week. (Yes, I've already written these scenes because I was so freaking happy to get back to writing good XingYue again.) From the beginning of this story, my goal has been to present a more proactive Chu Qiao that is, nevertheless, true to the character I fell in love with on the show. I've done my best to get inside her head in order to give you her motivations for her words and actions; I hope I've succeeded. I hope you enjoy, but I won't hold any lack of enjoyment against you;).

* * *

Considering that the first thing Chu Qiao remembered experiencing after losing her memory had involved her being hunted by wolves and men as well as holding the dying body of her new-found friend in her arms, she wasn't surprised that she'd spent so much of her relatively recent past in the grips of grief and rage. What did surprise Chu Qiao, however, was the sheer amount of grief and rage that she was capable of feeling as she rode hard for the cave hideout near Xiuli Mountain that Zhong Yu had shown her a few days ago.

The grief level, she supposed, was reasonable given the circumstances. While she understood mentally that Yan Xun had not been good for Yanbei and had been leading them down a path of disaster and death, she felt perfectly justified in mourning his passing. After all, she'd been there for all of the worst moments of his life and had nursed him back to physical and emotional health time and again after their enemies had thrown their worst at them.

Yuwen Yue had accused her of nurturing Yan Xun into a wolf, but if that was so, then she wasn't ashamed of that truth in the slightest. Taking care of the people she loved was the most important part of her life, and she'd never feel guilty about pouring so much of herself into a man who had been so good to her for so long. True, she knew that Yan Xun had done bad things later in their relationship, but she'd had no way of knowing ahead of time that he was going to do them, so trying to accept responsibility for them now was stupid.

 _Besides, it's not as if Yuwen Yue himself didn't nurture Yan Xun as well,_ she raged as her horse's hoofs pounded the road beneath her. _If the prison guards were to be believed, Yuwen Yue paid for food and medicine for us even after the events of Jieyou platform. I heard his parrot calling my name in prison, too, which means that he must've been standing watch over us in some capacity. And then, of course, there's the flooding plot that he told me about a few days ago. He could've ended Yan Xun's rebellion then and there, but he'd chosen not to. Of course, he blames me for that personal choice, too, instead of his own free will._

Chu Qiao stubbornly turned her thoughts back to Yan Xun instead of Yuwen Yue since he was the one that the man behind her had murdered. She had no idea whether she'd been _in_ love with Yan Xun or not (although she didn't think she had been), but she _did_ know that he'd meant a great deal to her. So she'd mourn the loss of Yan Xun as he'd been and do her best to hold together the pieces of their plan to save Yanbei that were as shredded as she imagined Yuwen Yue's wings to be.

The fact that she couldn't stop thinking about the man riding behind her with his arms wrapped around her caused her face to harden even more. He was the one who had killed the man that she'd cared for in spite of his many flaws. He was the one who'd used her and Zhong Yu's plan to gut Yanbei's leadership and to leave them as easy pickings for Wei. He was the one who'd murdered Yan Xun behind her back and had then had the gall to expect her to save him after the fact. He was the one who'd implicated her in Yan Xun's assassination by his actions even though she'd had nothing to do with it.

 _Of course, considering that I did the same thing to him when I killed Yuwen Xi, I suppose that's only fair,_ she admitted to herself as she continued to guide the horse through the dark night.

Chu Qiao wasn't in the mood to be fair, however. She wasn't in the mood to consider his actions in an impartial light. She wasn't in the mood to accept the necessity of Yan Xun's death in regards to the survival of Yanbei. She wasn't in the mood to entertain the possibility that his presence so near to the location of her own dangerous mission could have any other explanation than his desire to murder the man he'd once considered a close friend.

Most of all, she wasn't in the mood to confront the truth that had so recently caused her heart to try to climb up her throat and exit through her mouth in fear. Chu Qiao knew that Yuwen Yue was essential to what was left of their plan. She knew that without him as a buffer between Yanbei and Wei, Yuan Song alone would likely be unable to negotiate peace for her people. She knew that if Yuwen Yue were to die at the hands of the people of Yanbei, then nothing would be able to stop Prince Xiang from razing Yanbei to the ground. She knew that she needed his fighting and planning skills if they were to have a chance of succeeding in salvaging their scheme.

Chu Qiao knew all of those things, but she also knew that in the moment when she'd heard those arrows shred Yuwen Yue's dark wings and send him free-falling to earth, she hadn't cared about their plan or his importance to Yanbei. In that moment, she hadn't cared about politics or war or imminent disaster for Yanbei. In that moment, she hadn't spared a thought for her Xiulis or the people of her adoptive country or the successful installation of her old friend as ruler of Yanbei. In that moment, all she'd known was that she _could not let Yuwen Yue die,_ that she _could not lose him._

That fact filled her with a terrifying amount of rage that she was struggling to control as their horse thundered down the road towards their safe haven. A deep, rumbling vibration reached her ears, and she realized that she was hearing the pursuit of a large group of Yanbei soldiers coming after her and Yuwen Yue. If her mental calculations were accurate, she would have just enough time to reach the safety of the cave that she and Zhong Yu had outfitted with emergency supplies.

"Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said, speaking for the first time. "My people couldn't kill Cheng Yuan's men at the base of Xiuli Mountain because they got ambushed at the Meilin border and had to flee. We need to go somewhere else."

Chu Qiao turned her head and scowled at Yuwen Yue, not really surprised that yet another aspect of their plan had fallen through. That news added a small bit of rage to her internal maelstrom.

"We will," she said curtly. "We had a plan for if things went wrong. It's a cave Zhong Yu and her fighters have been using for years. It's stocked with the basics, so we'll be able to hole up until morning. Hopefully Zhong Yu and Mister Wu will meet us there."

"Will we make it in time?"

"No. I'm just riding towards the cave for the fun of it."

"I wasn't questioning your competence."

"Of course you weren't."

"Xing'er…"

Yuwen Yue obviously didn't know what to say, which was fine with Chu Qiao. The less said between them, the better as far as she was concerned. At least until they reached the safety of the cave, and then…

Chu Qiao smiled grimly into the night since she knew nobody could see her. Then she would unleash her fiery ball of rage on the only target within range, and he would just stand there and take it. He would just stand there with that look that was outwardly stoic but inwardly pained—if you knew him well enough to see the pain, which she did. He would just stand there with that impassive, long-suffering posture as she did her best to shred his heart with the fierceness of her words. He would just stand there and look at her as if he loved her, as if he could just give her _that particular look_ of his and she'd forgive him.

Except he wouldn't really expect her to forgive him, and she'd be able to tell that by the resignation in his bearing. He wouldn't fight back, wouldn't defend himself, wouldn't try to justify his actions. And then she'd start to feel guilty even though _he_ was the one who had betrayed _her._

Except that an insidious part of her mind insisted that he hadn't betrayed her, hadn't wanted to hurt her, hadn't wanted to ruin her plan. In fact, that same insidious part of her mind insisted that, in spite of the evidence to the contrary, she should still trust Yuwen Yue with her life, her plan, and her heart. That same insidious part of her mind was, in spite of the misgivings of the rest of her, enjoying the safe, protected feeling of Yuwen Yue's hard body at her back and his strong arms around her front. That same insidious part of her mind never wanted this ride to end, never wanted him to let her go, never wanted them to have to face all of the problems between them.

The rest of her rebelled against that seductive, foolish part of her mind, shutting it down and locking it out in fear and anger. She vowed that, while she would work with Yuwen Yue for the good of Yanbei and her people, she would never give him the opportunity to stab her in the back—or the heart—again. She'd never trust him, never confide in him, and, most importantly, never love him.

To her immense relief, Xiuli Mountain suddenly reared up in the near distance. She reached into her right saddlebag and pulled out a small crossbow with a special arrow already loaded in it. When she'd gotten just close enough, she depressed the trigger and was gratified to hear the piercing whistle that she hoped her men would be able to hear from where they were hunkered down. Not that she felt that their odds of survival were that high anyway given the amount of Yanbei troops heading their way and their lack of time to escape, but at least she'd done her best to warn them that the plan had gone wrong and that they needed to go to ground.

 _Maybe they'll find some way to get off of Xiuli Mountain_ _after all_ _and just...go someplace else, start over,_ she thought as she veered their horse sharply to the left and off the beaten path. Fortunately, the spindly crescent moon was peeking through the clouds and providing just enough light for her to see by. She took them into a stream and they rode for what she hoped would be long enough to disguise their direction. Yuwen Yue was blessedly silent behind her as she carefully took the horse out of the stream and onto a rocky path that would leave no hoofprints for their enemies to follow come morning.

At last, she saw their destination, and she felt a grim sense of satisfaction as she felt Yuwen Yue instinctively tense as she rode the horse straight for what seemed to be a solid wall. She pulled the horse up at the last minute and hopped down, completely ignoring Yuwen Yue as he dismounted behind her. Leading the horse gently, she walked to a thin crack in the wall and simply disappeared into it as she passed through the clever optical illusion that had made the cave such a desirable destination to Zhong Yu and her fighters in the first place.

In reality, the thin crack was actually the entrance to a small corridor wide enough for people and horses to walk through single-file once they got close enough to figure out the true nature of the passage. She drew her dagger, and she heard Yuwen Yue do the same since anything larger would be useless in such tight quarters. Nobody living but the four of them and He Xiao were supposed to know about this cave, but given the way the rest of the night had gone, she wasn't taking any chances.

Not that Chu Qiao feared death; she'd been more or less honest with Yan Xun when she'd told him that she'd never been afraid. If Chu Qiao was afraid of anything, it was the storm brewing within herself—and between herself and Yuwen Yue. In spite of her alert, collected exterior, she felt out of control and unable to halt the inevitable torrent of anger that she would soon be releasing on the man at her back once they had nowhere to go and nothing to do but wait for daylight.

* * *

A'Jing hadn't had much before tonight and now he figured that he had nothing. His entire family had been slaughtered by Wei troops several years ago. His woman had died heroically in the defense of Hongchuan, fighting at the side of the woman who had last been seen by Yanbei watchmen riding fast and hard for Xiuli Mountain with Yuwen Yue at her back. Both of his closest female friends had betrayed him this night, so he knew that they were lost to him. And Yan Xun...

He absentmindedly handled the rabbit tail charm that had been left on Yan Xun's body—the charm that he'd immediately taken off of said body and hidden from most of the men who'd responded to the servant girl's frantic shrieks. The body of his former ruler and closest friend was being prepared for burial; at least he'd get more respect in death here than his family had received at the hands of Wei.

 _Of course,_ A'Jing mused sadly as he sat on the throne he knew he wouldn't occupy for long, _a proper burial is fairly worthless without vengeance being carried out on your behalf. You can have the best burial in the world, but unless your loved ones punish those responsible for your death, your soul will never be at peace in the afterlife._

While A'Jing was a simple man, he wasn't a stupid one. He knew that he was not the charismatic, unifying figure that Yan Xun had been. He knew that his own men respected him for his fighting prowess and good sense, but that the rest of the Yanbei troops would only follow him due to his relationship with Yan Xun for so long before looking for a more forceful, connected leader to follow. He knew that after he took vengeance on behalf of his ruler and friend, someone with more political clout than he possessed would likely take his place.

He knew all of these things, but he didn't particularly care about them. After all, he had no interest whatsoever in ruling Yanbei and putting up with whiny, sniveling nobles and bickering, contentious generals. A'Jing had nothing left to live for except revenge, and he knew it. So he'd do his best to unify the soldiers of Yanbei, ride for Xiuli Mountain where at least two of the people responsible in some capacity for Yan Xun's death were likely hiding, and make sure they paid the necessary price for his dear friend's soul to be at peace.

True, A'Jing knew from the presence of the rabbit tail that, unless Yuwen Yue had planted it as evidence to throw them off, the spymaster was not directly responsible for the death of Yanbei's rightful ruler. However, he knew that, since the spymaster had been here, Yuwen Yue must've had bad intentions towards Yan Xun and may have been helping Princess Yuan Chun to accomplish her goal. He also knew that Yan Xun had harbored a soft spot for the girl and that he wouldn't have wanted A'Jing to kill her even under the current circumstances.

A'Jing had decided that he'd do his best to honor Yan Xun's probable wishes in death as he would've in life, so he'd frame a man Yan Xun had hated instead of revealing the culpability of a woman that he'd cared for in some capacity. As for A'Chu…

 _Chu Qiao,_ A'Jing forced himself to think, desiring to put some emotional distance between them.

In all honesty, he had no idea what his former friend's role had been in Yan Xun's death. Obviously, she'd killed Cheng Yuan and his cronies—which was something he'd honestly be inclined to give her a reward for under other circumstances-but beyond that? All anyone knew was that she'd been witnessed saving Yuwen Yue from certain death. Whether that indicated guilt in the plan to assassinate Yan Xun or not, A'Jing didn't know. What he did understand, however, was that Chu Qiao had obviously switched sides and that she was no longer an ally of Yanbei.

Zhong Yu was also something of a mystery as she had only been spotted leaving the city by the secret entrance that had been guarded by a few night watchmen who had only cursorily questioned her presence. Her story had been that she'd stayed late to say goodbye to a few friends who'd been throwing her a farewell party but that she'd wanted to leave secretly for security reasons. However, multiple officers who had been sympathetic to Cheng Yuan and Yan Xun's policies had been found slain far enough away from Cheng Yuan's tent to affirm that Chu Qiao was likely not their killer, so…

A'Jing sighed, cursing his lot. He'd gather as many troops as he could and ride for Xiuli Mountain, kill Yuwen Yue at least, and figure out what to do from there. While he was not a reckless man by nature, he didn't fear death and would do whatever was necessary to ensure that his former ruler and close friend got to find the peace in death that he hadn't been able to find in life since his family's murders.

 _Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll get to die an honorable death in combat and join my beloved in the afterlife._

* * *

Chun'er had once had plenty, but now she had nothing. She had nowhere to go, and she had the rest of her life to get there. After she'd successfully killed Yan Xun just after nightfall, she'd felt a profound desire to escape and to live well. However, after she'd made her way safely out of the city and the shock of what she'd just done had worn off, she'd realized that, instead of the vindicated triumph she'd expected to feel, she'd simply felt numb and hollow inside.

Now here she was, dressed as a commoner, seated at a rickety table in a run-down inn while eating a steaming bowl of rice and beef. Her driver had tried to dissuade her from stopping here as he'd claimed that it wasn't a suitable place for a lady such as herself to set foot in, much less spend the night, but her laughter had had a brittle, hysterical edge as she'd asked him what such things even meant for her anymore. The odds of any Yanbei soldiers looking at this seedy inn for Yan Xun's killer were slim, and even if they found her and took her into custody, she didn't really care anymore.

After all, what did she have to lose? She had no home, dwindling funds, and no more goals to achieve. She'd given up on getting vengeance on Chu Qiao because she'd decided that other parties like her father and Yan Xun had been more to blame for her suffering than the woman who'd killed Chun'er's own defilers and seen her and her brother safely back to Wei.

She took a sip of cheap wine from a shallow bowl and almost started choking on it when a clamor sounded outside of the inn. The doors flew open and a group of men piled in, making their way to the front of the establishment while talking loudly. From their manners and words, Chun'er could tell that they were soldiers from the city who'd just gotten permission to take a short break from the chaos in town to grab a bite to eat from their favorite inn before going back to do their jobs.

This pronouncement, of course, prompted a flurry of questions from the late-night crowd that was still there, and the men obviously relished delivering the news of the assassination of Yan Xun and many of his generals to the shocked diners. A couple of serving girls brought out full meals for the soldiers without being prompted, so Chun'er concluded that these men were regulars. The soldiers tore into their food, delivering salient morsels of gossip to the eagerly-waiting crowd between mouthfuls of food and gulps of wine.

The main suspect, they told the people, was none other than Yuwen Yue himself, the man who had once been their dearly departed ruler's best friend but who had betrayed him in the end. But that wasn't all, they'd told their captive listeners. His accomplices were rumored to be two other women that Yan Xun had cared for and trusted above all others: Miss Yu, a trusted general and adviser, and Chu Da Ren herself.

Chun'er didn't even bother to hide her shock at these pronouncements because she knew that her gobsmacked expression fit right in with the rest of the people who were giving the soldiers their undivided attention. She flinched when the soldiers also mentioned rumors they'd heard that the presence of something found on Yan Xun's body by the servant girl who'd found him had implicated an ex-lover from Wei, but everybody was so busy scoffing at the ridiculousness of the idea that nobody noticed her reaction at all.

At least, she'd thought that nobody had noticed her reaction. However, a few moments later, a striking woman with a heart-shaped face and pointed chin sat down at her table next to her and greeted her politely. Chun'er thought that the woman seemed vaguely familiar, especially since the regal bearing of her new tablemate clearly marked her as wealthy and important.

"I just came downstairs after I heard all of the noise," the woman said innocently, looking around the room in seeming confusion. "Could you please tell me what's going on?"

Chun'er gave the newcomer a simple version of events, leaving out, of course, the part about the piece of evidence pointing to a former lover. The woman seemed to accept the explanation and made some vague statements about the whole thing being a shame that would likely bring dangerous times to the land.

"In fact," the woman said, making a show of looking around her and lowering her voice, "if I were you, I'd consider leaving right away so as to avoid any sort of problems."

"Why would I need to do that?" Chun'er said nonchalantly, a bored expression on her face.

"A woman alone with all of these soldiers roaming about can't be too careful," the woman said, looking meaningfully at Chun'er.

"Thank you for your concern, but I likely won't be staying here much longer anyway," Chun'er managed to say calmly.

"So you already have plans, then?"

"Of course I do. Do I really look like the type of woman who doesn't have anywhere to go?"

"Not at all," the woman said, smiling slyly. "In fact, you look like the type of woman who knows what she wants to do and does it. So what do you want to do?"

Chun'er sat there and thought about the question, her bowl of food now cold and unappetizing. She gave the question the consideration it deserved, and her companion seemed content to allow her the time to do so. An answer coalesced in her mind that surprised her since it directly contradicted the seemingly logical stance that she'd held just minutes ago.

"I want to get even," she found herself saying, freezing in shock as she voiced her innermost desire to a total stranger.

Her companion didn't condemn her though, instead giving her a crafty, malevolent grin that sent chills down her spine.

"Then do it," the beautiful woman simply said, leaning towards Chun'er slightly. "Don't wait for a sign or for a more convenient time or for circumstances to be just right. Just do what you have to do, and everything else will fall into place."

The words sounded mysterious and prophetic to Chun'er, who was still staring at the woman in shock. She was reminded of the advice that she'd received from the nice young man that she'd met in the city who had persuaded her to wait until night to attack her enemy rather than going in the daytime. The results of listening to his counsel had exceeded her expectations, so maybe she would have the same stellar results this time as well.

"Okay, I will," Chun'er said, filled with a renewed sense of purpose she'd been lacking minutes ago.

She stood up from her spot at the table and strode confidently up the stairs towards the room that she'd rented for the night with the last of her money. Chun'er figured that she'd get a few hours of sleep, and then…

* * *

Xiao Yu waited for the erstwhile princess to disappear from sight before making her own way back up the stairs to her second-floor room, paying little attention to the serving girl who bustled over to their recently-vacated table to clean it up. Her loyal subordinate was waiting for her just as she knew she would be, having seen the woman disappear back up the stairs otherwise unobserved partway through the conversation. The princess of Liang knew that her subordinate wouldn't understand why she'd bothered to converse with such a seemingly useless person, but she hadn't ascended to her current position by being foolish.

The woman presented Xiao Yu with a steaming cup of tea as the princess sat down at her desk. She once again examined the rolled-up letter that she'd received shortly before all of the noise had erupted downstairs. The secret missive had detailed the events of the night as pieced together by several of her spies that had infiltrated Yan Xun's palace and army. They had told her that the identity of the probable killer was Yuwen Yue, but they had faithfully included the detail of the rabbit tail charm as they'd been trained to do. After all, they were just low-level spies, so how could they know what was and wasn't important to their mistress?

Her Chang'an spies had told her of the charm long ago, so she'd made the connection between Princess Yuan Chun and the assassination just before chaos had broken out in the dining area. Yuan Chun's omission of the detail about the ex-lover as a possible suspect—which she herself had heard the soldiers mention just moments before she'd initiated the conversation—had confirmed the former princess's guilt to her.

She almost hadn't gone downstairs, but some instinct had prompted her to do so. Now she was glad she had since doing so had given her the opportunity to set this small plan in motion before getting her larger scheme underway.

"You're wondering why I bothered to talk to Yuan Chun, aren't you?" she idly asked her companion.

"I know that you know best, Princess," her subordinate said, clasping her hands in front of her and bowing swiftly.

"Of course I do," Xiao Yu said, smirking. "If there's one thing I've learned in this business, it's that you can never shoot too many arrows at the enemy. The more arrows you shoot, the better chance you have of defeating him. Even if an arrow can only succeed in making your enemy dodge, you've still given yourself another prime opportunity to shoot him with another arrow."

"As you say, Princess."

"You're right to think that Chun'er is fairly weak and useless. Honestly, I think she just got lucky when she succeeded in killing Yan Xun, so I doubt that she'll be able to eliminate any of our mutual friends.

If nothing else, however, she'll at least hopefully succeed in serving as a distraction for people who can ill afford to deal with one at the moment—especially once I spring my trap on them."

Xiao Yu could tell that her subordinate didn't understand what she'd just said, but she didn't mind. After all, there was a reason that she was who she was and that she'd surrounded herself with people who weren't close to being on her level of intelligence and guile.

* * *

Chu Qiao was almost disappointed that no enemies had been hiding inside the cave since a good fight would've at least given her an outlet for some of her rage. Maybe if she'd have had someone other than Yuwen Yue on which to take out her frustrations, she wouldn't be so tightly wound. True, the shock of the events of the past few hours had somewhat worn off and the rational part of her was at least beginning to function again, but she knew she was still a nocked arrow ready to fire.

In fact, as she began to pull out some of the food that she and Zhong Yu had placed in the cave earlier, she congratulated herself on the fact that she hadn't blown up at Yuwen Yue yet. Oh, she knew she was going to. She had the same sort of feeling inside of her now that she'd had a time or two at the Oriole Courtyard after she'd eaten food that had spoiled after sitting too long due to fears of poison. The twisting in the gut, the burning in the stomach, and the threat of the gag reflex triggering were all present—as was, of course, the inner sense that no matter how hard you worked to keep from throwing up, the badness within was still going to force its way up your throat and out of your mouth regardless.

But for now, the logical side of herself was telling her that no good could come from blowing up at a man with whom she was going to have to spend hours alone in this cave. While their hideout was reasonably roomy, it was still just a single, medium-sized area big enough for a small stable, a modest sleeping space, a crude sitting area with a small table, and a couple of corners that were suitable for stashing weapons, food, and other supplies. In other words, if she voiced the scalding sentiments bubbling just beneath her surface, she'd have nowhere to run once she was done. So here she was, _trying._

Yuwen Yue was obviously _trying_ , too. He'd only said what was necessary for basic communication and had quietly done his part to set the cave up for habitation. They'd lit the dim lamps set out around the cave, stabled the horse, built a fire in the well-ventilated cookpit, and placed their weapons within easy grasp. She'd set up an old wooden screen in front of the entrance to the cave that would prevent any light from exiting while allowing fresh air to come in. While it wouldn't prevent enemies from breaking in, the noise required to defeat the way she'd notched the edges of the screen into rocky niches in the walls would at least give the two of them a few seconds' warning before their foes were upon them.

Chu Qiao was now in the process of providing a meal for them from their stores. It wouldn't be anything fancy, but it would be nourishing enough given the circumstances. She thought about brewing some tea, knowing the comfort that that ritual would bring to not just her but Yuwen Yue. Of course, she also knew about the memories that making tea would conjure up, so she just reached for the bottles of wine instead.

Yuwen Yue took his food and wine with merely a murmur of thanks, and silence fell over the cave as they consumed their crude fare.

 _Maybe we'll be able to make it through tonight without fighting after all,_ Chu Qiao thought as she chewed on a bite of smoked meat.

"Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said softly after taking a long pull of wine from his bottle, "I didn't kill Yan Xun."

"What?" Chu Qiao said, almost choking on her meat as she hastily swallowed it down. "What other reason could you possibly have had for being in the city? Were you just going to drop in on Yan Xun for some late-night tea and reminiscing?"

"I'm not denying that I went into the palace to kill Yan Xun," Yuwen Yue said in that calm voice that had often ignited her fury. "However, when I got to Yan Xun's room, I recognized two things that were familiar to me: a specific scent and a rabbit's tail charm with a turquoise handle."

"Are you seriously trying to convince me that _Chun'er_ killed Yan Xun and successfully escaped while _you_ almost got caught?"

"I almost got caught _because_ Chun'er killed Yan Xun and successfully escaped. I'd heard whispers from soldiers and servants that Yan Xun had been ill and that his doctor had given strict orders for him to remain undisturbed for the rest of the night. My theory is that Chun'er disguised herself as a doctor and provided Yan Xun with a more permanent solution for his illness than he would've preferred."

"'A more permanent solution'? Do you think that's funny?" Chu Qiao asked, her voice rising in rage at the flippant description of her friend's grisly murder.

"Not funny, but definitely inconvenient," Yuwen Yue said, placid as ever.

"Oh, yes, it's very inconvenient," Chu Qiao said sarcastically, bowing to the inevitable. "Had everything gone according to your plan, we wouldn't have known how we'd been used until we'd arrived back at the city come morning."

"Ah, yes. _We're_ the ones who used _you_. You yourself definitely didn't use us as an excuse to kill off a hated enemy and his lackies. Nor did the three of you use us to try to elevate yourselves in rank and importance in Yanbei. Your motives were purely selfless, I'm sure."

Chu Qiao welcomed the rush of anger that flashed through her as she realized that Yuwen Yue wasn't going to play that tired game of passive-aggressiveness this time. That wild, almost feral part of her that had been reluctantly submitting to the logical part of her licked its lips in anticipation of the battle to come. If he wanted a fight, then she'd give him one.

"You just keep telling yourself that, Yuwen Yue. You've always been good at rationalizing your sins anyway. Refuse to give someone valuable, potentially lifesaving information? Well, you just didn't have a choice, now, did you—and how stupid were they for not being able to figure the situation out on their own anyway? Lie to someone? Well, it was for their own good, naturally. Use someone? Well, the strong survive and thrive by stepping on the backs of the weak, after all. Betray someone? The ends justify the means, of course."

"That's the typically shallow level of analysis I've come to expect from you, Xing'er. You always were terrible at looking beneath the surface of things. You don't know the first thing about my motives, my feelings, or the intricate balancing act that comes with being both the leader of the Eyes of God and a general of Wei. Maybe I don't bother to give certain people specific information because I know that doing so will bring more harm to me than good for them. Maybe I know that no matter how hard I try

to sway people's opinions, they're just going to do what they want to do anyway. As for betrayal, one man's treason is another's rebellion, as you well know yourself."

"Of course we can't all be as perceptive and all-knowing as you, Yuwen Yue. My analysis of the situation was, indeed, shallow, and my understanding of your motives and feelings was foolish and naive. You see, I'd actually come to trust you again, and the end result was, more or less, the same as the first time."

Chu Qiao saw a flash of genuine pain in Yuwen Yue's eyes and rejoiced in it. _It's about time that you feel the way I felt that night as I realized just how thoroughly I'd been fooled._ She thought she'd gotten over the pain and anguish caused by hearing the very-much-alive Yuwen Zhuo's callous description of her that his grandson had obviously endorsed, but all she'd really done had been to cram all of that pain and heartbreak into some rarely-visited corner of her mind.

"Oh, yes," he rasped, stepping closer to her. "Few things hurt worse than realizing that someone you've trusted has been conspiring behind your back and lying to your face."

She finally felt the last vestiges of logic desert her as all of the hurt and anger she'd suffered from the beginning of her relationship with Yuwen Yue until present bubbled up to the top of her mind and out through her mouth.

"You don't get to do that, Yuwen Yue!" Chu Qiao shouted, reacting to his more aggressive posture with one of her own. "You don't get to play your 'poor, misunderstood me' role and blame everything on me. You've lied to me over and over again. You've hidden important information from me over and over again. You've betrayed me over and over again. You've used the people I loved for your own ends over and over again. And then you've had the nerve to blame _me_ for somehow magically not being able to figure out the answers to these complex situations when you've known I've had limited information and even more limited options!"

"Are you talking about the past or the present? You seem to have an equally poor grasp of both situations, but I should probably know for the sake of clarity which actions I'm supposed to be defending."

"I'm sorry that your recent actions have brought up so many bad memories of your past sins. Since the present bears so much similarity to the past, maybe we should just lump them all together. Once again, I thought I understood your plans for me but was proven wrong in a gut-wrenching way. Once again, you used me to eliminate your enemies—and don't you stand there and act like Cheng Yuan wasn't your enemy; I recognized those crossbow bolts. Once again, I became what you'd worked so hard to make me—a spy of sacrifice, a tool to be wielded against your enemies but ultimately expendable if things went wrong."

The logical part of her—not to mention that other illogical, insidious part of her—tried to rein her tongue in in response to the raw agony in Yuwen Yue's eyes as she threw the "spy of sacrifice" line in his face. It tried to remind her of how many times he'd saved her, how many times he'd protected her, how many times he'd demonstrated his care for her. But all she could feel was the grief and the sting of betrayal and the rage, so she eagerly awaited his next volley.

"I never meant for you to be in any danger tonight," he said in a low, flat voice. "My plan was to get in, eliminate my target, and get out. Then I'd hide myself, wait to make sure that every other part of the plan went well, and then sneak out as if I'd never been there."

"Eliminate your target? How professional you sound," Chu Qiao mocked, tears beginning to stream down her face. "I'm glad you were around to draw attention to me as I escaped so that now everyone thinks I was involved in Yan Xun's death."

"But you were involved, Xing'er. True, I didn't end up killing Yan Xun, but had I been able to, that would've been the result of _your_ plan."

"No, that would've been the result of you altering my plan. I refuse to take responsibility for your choices and decisions."

"How often have I had to save you from your own choices and decisions? Take now, for example. You surely knew that getting rid of Yan Xun was necessary for the success of any coup, yet you couldn't do it. So you blundered ahead with this flawed plan instead and then got angry when I tried to do what was necessary. I forgot, though: that sort of thing is only wrong when someone on my side does it."

"Only you would think I should have to apologize for not being able to kill someone who means...who meant so much to me. I'm sorry to disappoint you, Yuwen Yue, but no, I didn't have it in me to take the life of a man who, in spite of his faults, was a close friend. You, apparently, felt yourself up to the job, though, so maybe you could enlighten me about the necessary frame of mind to carry out such a task. Did you think about all of the glory your family would get? Did you think about how easily Wei could conquer Yanbei without the bulk of its top leadership? Did you think that maybe you'd earn another place of honor atop another judgment platform? Maybe you thought I'd be up there, too—finally tried for and convicted of war crimes and awaiting judgment at your feet. After all, you once told me that a woman you couldn't control was worse than a dead one!"

Chu Qiao shouted the last before collapsing against the wall, weeping out the pain and rage that she could no longer coherently vent verbally. She hadn't realized how much she'd still been hurting deep down due to wondering whether he'd meant what he'd said when he'd tried to kill her, fake death or not. Were all of those times he'd saved her merely attempts to control her as an object he'd felt he'd owned or true expressions of his—to her, at least-inexplicable love for her?

She had no way of knowing the truth, no time to figure out the facts, and no previous understanding of what love was to guide her. Logic seemed to be failing her; all she had were her instincts, which simultaneously urged her to hide behind her emotional walls and to tear them down. Chu Qiao felt like she was being torn apart, the wrenching sobs escaping from her merely a physical manifestation of the turmoil within. She looked up, met Yuwen Yue's eyes, and, for the second time that night, stared into the face of the very real threat of losing him.

Yuwen Yue watched her so impassively and dispassionately that his eyes may as well have contained walls of their own. The lifelessness in his gaze terrified multiple parts of her that were now trying to reassert themselves since she'd vented so much of her anger and sorrow. She knew that some of the things she'd said had been true and that she had every right to be upset, but how did her inner pain and principles compare to the impending reality of Yuwen Yue's permanent absence from her life?

"If that's how you really feel," Yuwen Yue said flatly, walking away from her and picking up his sword, "then I'll just leave. I'll slip past the Yanbei troops, meet up with my people, and wait for Yanbei to tear itself apart before Wei comes in to clean up the leftover mess. My part of the plan is still intact, after all, while yours...well, you might get your leadership choice after all, but as for the rest, I...I don't need you."

That single hesitation on Yuwen Yue's part at the end penetrated the haze of anger and confusion that had filled Chu Qiao's mind, telling her that maybe there was still hope and that she could fix what had been broken. The part of her that wanted to trust and care for Yuwen Yue broke free of the rest of her, suppressing everything else with a totality that would've terrified her had she been in a more logical frame of mind. She'd never felt such a complete desire to allow her heart to override her ideals before, and the reality that she was seriously considering doing so now befuddled her to an agonizing degree. She had no idea what she was supposed to do, but that had never stopped her before.

Chu Qiao worked hard to stop her tears, but she only succeeded partially. Yuwen Yue was quietly gathering up his supplies, looking more tired and careworn than she'd seen him appear in a long time. She realized that she'd finally pushed Yuwen Yue too far and that if she didn't figure out some way to act now…

 _A few days ago, I committed myself to walking a different path because I realized that the path I'd been treading before led only to destruction and death. That new path brought me here, to this place, with this man, in these circumstances. If I don't say something now, do something now...But what can I say? What can I do? Nothing I can think of will-_

He walked past her towards the cave's entrance and she reacted with no thought, no preparation. She instinctively reached out and grabbed hold of his right arm, digging in her heels with all of her strength. Logically, she knew that he'd easily be able to break her hold, especially in her current condition, yet he didn't.

"As you told me earlier, Xing'er, don't think I'll fall for that trick again. It won't work on me this time."

"Yuwen Yue, I..." Chu Qiao said, her throat closing itself and making speech impossible.

"Just let me go, Xing'er. You kept me from dying; you brought me to a safe place; you fed me. You don't owe me anything more. Please...just let me go."

"I..."

 _I owe you more than I'll ever be able to repay—especially after tonight. I know if you leave, I'll likely never see you again—at least not in any meaningful capacity. I know some of what I said was right, but some of it was so very, very wrong. I'm sorry. I care for y-_

"I can't lose you," she barely got through her throat, not even able to look at Yuwen Yue. "I couldn't lose you."

"What does it matter, Xing'er? Why do you care? I've never brought you anything but grief anyway."

Once again, Chu Qiao acted on instinct. She gave that insidious part of her free reign and, for the first time, allowed it to drop the shields behind her eyes completely. Chu Qiao looked up into Yuwen Yue's eyes, meeting them with her own. She had no idea what Yuwen Yue would see in them since she didn't even understand all of her feelings herself, but she figured that maybe he'd be able to comprehend them well enough—and if not, at least she would have done everything she could to make up for the recent past.

 _Not everything…_

"Yuwen Yue," she whispered, working hard to keep her eyes as open and honest as possible, "I-I'm sorry. I...I need you."

They stood on that knife's edge for what felt like an eternity to Chu Qiao, Yuwen Yue looking deeply into her eyes as if he could know her innermost thoughts and she doing her best to let him. Finally, he blinked his eyes and a tear rolled slowly down each cheek. Chu Qiao blinked in shock, unable to believe her eyes.

As if she were in a trance, she found herself releasing his arm and raising both of her hands to rest gently on either side of his face. Slowly, she wiped away both tears with her thumbs. He covered her hands with his, and Chu Qiao once again committed herself to walking a different path.

* * *

AN: Whew! Glad that's over with. We've shot the rapids now, so we'll be paddling in more XingYue-friendly waters from now on. There will, of course, still be plenty of angst ahead (this is PA, after all), but it will be wholesome, healing angst rather than drama-causing angst. Thank you for sticking with this story and trusting me to give you a better payoff for the angst than the show did; I'll do my best to deliver.

I hardly ever post musical recommendations, but after this chapter, I figured I'd share this bit of XingYue goodness that Spotify seemed to think I'd like: www dot youtube dot com/watch?v=1SZI3Y_7p0A (I'm not sure that this will actually work since ffn hates links, but it's am acoustic cover of an Ed Sheeran song by a duo that goes by "Glenn & Ronan" called "All of the Stars." If you ignore the modern references [or change them in your head like I do], it's so XingYue it hurts. Obviously you replace the "dot" words with actual dots.)


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Wow. I was pleasantly surprised at how many of you liked last week's chapter as much as you did, so if you liked that chapter, you should love this one. At first, I wondered if it had turned out to be too long, but then I came to my senses given that it's almost all pure XingYue. Enjoy it, my XingYue-starved pack of ravenous wolves;).

Some of you asked why Yuwen Yue didn't defend himself/go into more detail about his side of things. The short answer is that I needed to save plenty of material for this chapter. The longer answer is...well...I'll let Yuwen Yue explain it to you. I'm glad y'all asked that question, though, because I hadn't really addressed it in the rough draft. I'd talked about why he'd decided to stay, but not why he hadn't said more/defended himself. I hope his answer is satisfactory. Please feel free to keep asking such questions; as a writer, I see the story unfolding clearly (most of the time) in my head, but I might forget to take a detail out of my head and put it in the actual story.

I've tried to address as many of their misunderstandings as I could, but there are so many, I'm sure I missed a few. Hopefully I've hit the most important points and we'll have to trust our OTP to work the rest out later. Enjoy some payoff; there will be much more to come later.

* * *

Yuwen Yue had always enjoyed watching Xing'er make tea. Observing her going through the familiar motions with the battered tea set that someone had stored in the cave soothed him, serving as a balm for the raw, gaping wounds his heart was still nursing in spite of his placid demeanor.

He knew that most people would've considered him a fool for staying here after some of the things that Xing'er had said to him, but Yuwen Yue knew that most of those people had long considered him foolish anyway, so their opinions didn't matter to him. Outside of a simple desire to not have to walk around in the dark with enemy troops crawling around, Yuwen Yue had found his justification for staying in the cave with Xing'er in the expressive, bottomless openness he'd seen in her eyes.

While he hadn't seen any impending confessions of romantic love in her eyes, he had seen a genuine fear of losing him and a desperate desire to keep him in her life. True, those topics would likely not show up in many love poems, but he believed them to be integral to her eventually being able to return his love in full measure. He knew that the woman he loved wasn't good at examining her own feelings, but that once she realized a truth about how she felt, she held onto it fiercely.

Yuwen Yue also had to admit that, spymaster that he was, Xing'er had always presented a fascinating puzzle for him that he'd often relished the process of trying to solve. She'd shown him some new facets tonight, and he knew himself to be unable to resist attempting to figure them—to figure her—out. He understood that he might get hurt in the process, but he knew himself powerless to be able to turn away from the contradictory mystery that was the woman he loved more than anything else in the world.

Tonight was the closest he'd ever come to doing so, however, as he'd recognized the face and posture that Xing'er displayed when she was beyond reason. He'd seen that body language often enough to know that she wouldn't have listened to him no matter how eloquently he might have managed to defend himself, so he'd chosen to walk away rather than to engage in pointless fighting. Whether he would've been able to stay away from her was something he'd never know—and, fortunately, would never need to try to figure out.

While there were few things he wanted more than the opportunity to be able to explain the details of past misunderstandings to Xing'er, he knew that she'd have to be in a certain frame of mind to listen to those truths—and he'd finally seen her arrive at such a state a few minutes ago. Yuwen Yue didn't know if he'd get the chance to say the things he'd wanted to say to Xing'er for so long, but he knew that he might never get a better opportunity than this one.

The rickety chair that he was in squeaked as he shifted slightly in it, drawing Xing'er's eyes away from the cooking area. He simply stared at her, his opinion of their current accommodations obviously clear to her.

"I'll have you know that that chair once resided in the palace," Xing'er said, smiling tentatively at him.

"The palace of the Yellow Emperor, perhaps."

Xing'er's mouth twitched and she went back to fiddling with the tea set. He could tell the tea was almost ready and he was already anticipating the warmth that would fill him, chasing away the coldness within.

"What about the table? Does it have a story, too?" he asked, his eyes twinkling slightly.

"Of course," Xing'er said, bringing the tea set over to said table and setting it down somewhat unsteadily. "This table once belonged to a wealthy nobleman who used to serve royalty tea and refreshments on it—until he lost all of his money at some seedy gambling tables and had to sell it off."

"And I'll bet that that old wooden screen once belonged to the most beautiful courtesan in the land—who met a tragic end after getting caught in the crossfire between two jealous lovers," Yuwen Yue said.

"How did you guess?" Xing'er said, eyes widening in mock astonishment.

On the outside, Xing'er seemed reasonably cool and collected, but the shaking in her hands as she poured first his cup of tea and then her own belied her facade of calmness. The banter was clearly a cover for her just as it was for him, but at least it was better than yelling.

She picked up his cup of tea and brought it around the table to him, just as if they were still at Qing Shan Yuan. Her hands were trembling so much, however, that some of the tea sloshed out of the small, chipped cup and onto his black robes. Xing'er's cheeks flamed as she instinctively got down on her knees, trying to wipe the tea off of his clothes with the sleeves of her own black garments as if she were a silver bell awaiting chastisement.

Yuwen Yue almost waved her away and told her not to worry about the tea since it was the least of his problems, but his strategic mind stilled his tongue and moved one of his hands inside his robe. He made eye contact with Xing'er, drew out her old handkerchief from years ago, and held it out to her, his mind going back in time to that day that seemed so far away now.

She took the handkerchief from his hand with fingers that seemed to have gone numb, and she clumsily and blindly patted his robes with it as she continued to look into his eyes. The openness in them drew him in and made him feel as if he were drowning. They contained the moon and stars and tears and so many emotions he'd never expected to see in them.

"S-sorry," she whispered, looking down and giving his robes a final pat with the handkerchief before looking back up at him with anguish in her eyes. "I'm so sorry."

After handing him back the handkerchief, Xing'er shakily stood up, walked back to the table, and poured him a fresh cup of tea. This one she delivered correctly before striding back over to the cookpit and placing a couple of extra logs on the fire, obviously trying to regain her composure.

"I don't want you to get cold," she softly explained. "If there's one thing I don't want to deal with, it's you getting sick."

"Oh, yes," Yuwen Yue said wryly. "That would be very inconvenient for you, wouldn't it, Xing'er?"

"Yes, it would—and I'm not in the mood to have to worry about warming you up."

Xing'er's eyes widened and she blushed as she realized what she'd said.

"Would that really be so inconvenient for you, Xing'er?" Yuwen Yue couldn't resist asking.

"Scoundrel," Xing'er said, scowling at him.

"Don't worry, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said, smirking at her. "I trust you to do a thorough job of keeping me warm so that I don't have to worry about being cold."

"I could just shove you in the fire and save us both the trouble," she said, smiling sweetly.

"You've already burned me once tonight, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said, sipping from his tea and looking pointedly at her. "I think I'll pass on a second time."

Xin'ger's face flooded with shame and her eyes filled with tears, which wasn't the reaction Yuwen Yue had been hoping for. Before he could think of something to say, however, Xing'er returned to her seat and picked up her tea cup, sipping from it with determined resolve.

"Yuwen Yue," she said, her chin jutting out and her face hardening in the way that it did whenever she'd decided to do something and nobody and nothing was going to stop her. "First of all, I want to apologize for suggesting you'd ever hurt me. That was...that was the worst thing I said to you tonight."

He could tell that her throat had closed up again as she looked down at the table, her eyes filling with tears. Yuwen Yue couldn't stand it.

"Xing'er-"

"No," she said curtly, her eyes softening as she seemed to realize how harsh she sounded. "Please let me continue. A few days ago, I was sitting in my room in Yan Xun's palace, trying to figure out how I was going to stop this pointless war and salvage things for the people of Yanbei. As a result, I decided to walk a different path. I realized that my previous course of action had been leading to disaster, so I decided that I needed to try something else in order to change the future for myself and for my people."

Yuwen Yue kept silent since he already knew all of this; she'd told him as much when they'd met beside the icy lake. He knew that tone of voice, however, and thus let her continue uninterrupted.

"Tonight, I realized the same thing, except about...us," Xing'er got out, taking a deep breath before continuing. "In the past, deceit and misunderstandings have hurt us and kept us apart. So I decided that, since concealment wasn't working, I was going to try being completely honest with you. There are things about me that you don't know, things you think I've done that I haven't done...things I know you don't understand. So tonight...tonight, I'm going to tell you everything I can. I'm going to be completely honest. I'll even answer your questions to the best of my ability. You don't have to reciprocate; this is my way of making amends for tonight...for so much."

Yuwen Yue was speechless, almost to the degree of being unable to process what Xing'er was telling him. He would've been less surprised if she'd have told him that she'd been a Liang spy all of this time and that she was actually married to Xiao Ce.

"Xing'er, you don't have to-"

"Yes, I do," she said softly, still maintaining eye contact with him. "You should know; I want you to understand. As I said, I don't expect for you to tell me anything in return, either—although I know that, if there are things about me that I know you don't understand, then there are things about you that I don't understand—and I really want to understand."

"Okay, Xin'ger," Yuwen Yue managed to say huskily.

Xing'er took another deep breath, obviously ordering her thoughts and gathering her courage.

"First: Miss Song. I didn't kill her."

"What?" Yuwen Yue said, both eyebrows raising. "Xing'er-"

"Yuwen Yue! You-! I told you I was going to tell you the truth! Now you understand why I didn't even bother trying to tell you the truth then."

"I'm sorry, Xing'er, but Yue Qi found the body—and the bracelet that Miss Song died clutching. Your bracelet."

"Oh, my sisters and I were there when she died, but we didn't kill her—at least not deliberately."

Xing'er went on to tell him a somewhat crazy story about a fight on a bridge that went wrong. However, he could see no reason why she'd lie about something that was, at this point in their relationship, so inconsequential.

"Okay, Xing'er, I believe you," he said, taking another sip of tea. "You didn't kill Miss Song. Are there any other people whose deaths you want to absolve yourself of before you continue?"

"Jin Zhu's. I didn't kill her, either. In fact, I tried to help her by breaking her out of prison and giving her the means to start a new life—if she was humble enough to take the chance. She wasn't, and her own actions condemned her to death, likely at the hands of Yuwen Huai."

"I knew you'd snuck out that night," Yuwen Yue muttered, sipping his tea.

"I just had time to take off my black robes, climb into bed, and pull the covers up before you walked in."

"So I was right to be suspicious of you and to pull the covers away."

"Are you sure you decided to take off my covers because of your suspicions, or was that just an excuse?"

"Either way, I won."

"Rascal."

He gave her one of his intense looks before moving the line of questioning in a more productive direction.

"What about the lantern festival? Surely you're not going to tell me that the story that you told me about what happened afterwards resembled the truth in any way?"

"Well, actually, Yuwen Yue," Xing'er said, "I didn't have to exaggerate much. While I deliberately got lost in the crowd, someone really did try to kill me; Yan Xun really did rescue me; we really did watch Wei Shuyou kill some runaway slaves. All of that really happened. In fact, I now know that I first met the Liang princess that night and that the man who tried to kill me was her henchman, the man with the fan."

"So you weren't trying to run away from me?"

"I was trying to run away from death for me and my sisters at the hands of Yuwen Huai and his toadies—not you. That's how it always was—how my life has always been. I was always one step away from disaster, one escape attempt away from the threat of my sisters getting sent to Jille Ge, and I...well...I don't think anyone would've been foolish enough to send me there. No, I would've just been sent on a mission I was never meant to come back from."

Yuwen Yue felt as if all of the air in the cave had suddenly been sucked out through the wooden screen but that none had come back in. Was he really going to finally learn the truth about what had happened that night?

"I never would've let that happen, Xin'ger," he rasped out, eyes tormented with long-ago bad memories.

"How would you have been able to stop it?" Xing'er asked, her voice rising. "Was it really your idea to send me on a mission-just me, alone-to face Liang's three top spies after such a relatively small amount of training? Or did you come back from that secret chamber off the back of your rooms with those orders?"

"I knew you had to have found that entrance," Yuwen Yue whispered. "Ever since that night, I've tried and tried to figure out what happened, what you saw, what you heard..."

"I'll tell you," Xing'er said, tears she didn't even seem to notice rolling down her cheeks. "I told you I'd tell you, and I will. I wasn't trying to snoop. All I wanted to do was to talk to you about something—I don't even remember what—and I saw Yue Qi go into your rooms, so I assumed you were in there. I went in there; you weren't in there; I got curious. Maybe I shouldn't have looked around, but if I hadn't, then I never would've learned the truth."

"The partial truth," Yuwen Yue couldn't resist firing back.

"A partial truth is better than a whole lie," Xing'er said, eyes blazing.

"Is it really? How many mistakes have you made because you only knew part of the truth about something?"

"How can I know the full truth about something if someone is deliberately hiding it from me? How can I blame myself for making choices with incomplete—this is getting us nowhere. Forget it. I promised I'd tell you, so I'll tell you. I found the secret mechanism, triggered it, heard your grandfather talking about the Eyes of God and his continued interest in it. How nobody heard or saw that large, loud door opening..."

Xing'er's eyes lost focus, and Yuwen Yue paled a little at the implication. _Surely not...but he does hate Xing'er, thinks she's dangerous to me…_

"In hindsight, what I overheard was ridiculously convenient, almost as if he knew I was there. Your grandfather, his servant, and Yue Qi could've been talking about how the cold, damp air in the chamber made his back ache or something, but instead, they started talking about...me. About how you'd been training me to use me against your enemies and about how...after I managed to kill Yuwen Xi, I'd be sent to Liang, where I'd be the...the spy of sacrifice—just like you'd planned all along."

She finished the last part in a whisper, sniffling loudly and wiping at the tears streaming down her face. He was shocked to feel dampness on his own cheeks for the second time in the past hour, but he didn't regret the tears because, just as before, he wanted her to _see…_

"Xing'er," he whispered, "I'm so sorry you overheard that. While I had told my grandfather that I was training you to be a spy, I never, ever said or even implied that you would be a spy of sacrifice. Now I know which conversation you overheard; Yue Qi came to me in a panic after it and told me what Grandfather had said, and we went off that very night to try to kill all of the Liang spies so that you wouldn't..."

"I didn't lie to you," Xing'er said softly into the silence. "When I told you I wasn't going to run away with Yan Xun, I didn't lie to you. I didn't even seriously consider going with him until I learned that Yuwen Zhuo was still alive, that Linxi's death had been a lie, and that I was going to be killed soon—leaving my sisters vulnerable. There was no plot between us until that point—at least not on my part. I wanted to stay with-"

Xing'er's teeth clicked shut like a steel trap as she cut off her words, but Yuwen Yue knew what she'd been about to say.

"So on the tower..."

"I was so hurt and angry about...everything. The lies. The betrayal. My own naive stupidity. I wanted you to pay..."

"And I did," Yuwen Yue whispered. "I still am."

Xing'er stood up from the table, walking unsteadily to the fire and throwing more logs on it. The cave was already quite warm, even to Yuwen Yue. He could tell that she was freezing from within, and that no amount of firewood was going to solve her problem—or his.

"So cold," he heard her whisper.

Yuwen Yue couldn't hold himself back any longer. He stood up from the table and slowly walked over to her. She kept her back turned to him, her arms wrapped around herself as she shivered even from her place by the warm fire. Ever so gently, he gripped her shoulders and turned her around to face him, holding her lightly enough that she could've broken his grip with little effort.

Xing'er allowed him to turn her all the way around until she was facing him, however, and didn't pull away when he put his arms around her and pulled her close. At first, she didn't respond to him, although he could, like at Xiao Ce's palace, feel her deliberately holding herself in check, not allowing herself to relax in her arms. She gave in suddenly, though, like someone who had already gotten into bed after a long, hard day but who could only relax after a few moments under the covers. Her small but strong arms wound around his waist, and he felt his knees almost unlock from the feelings that caused.

"X'er," he rasped, slurring her name due to emotion, "there are so many things I want to tell you, so much I want for you to understand..."

"Y-you don't have to," her voice drifted up to him, muffled against his shoulder. "And I still have so much to tell you...so much...about the escape, the rebellion, things I did and didn't know. Things Yan Xun was planning that I didn't know. That time you took me into your tent after I'd gotten hurt and you accused me of faking being hurt or something...I didn't. I swear. I still don't know what that was about. The innocents who died in Chang'an when we escaped, in Yanbei after...I didn't know about any of their plans."

"I know, Xin'ger. I know. You don't have to-"

"When I went with Yan Xun—all of the times I went with Yan Xun—I did so because I felt I didn't really have anywhere else to go—and because I'd given my word. We'd been through so much together, he and I...made so many promises to one another...saved each other's lives so many times…And I knew I had responsibilities the same as you did. To Yan Xun, yes, but also to my troops, to my sisters, to the common people. So many thought I followed him because I was in love with him, but I don't even know if I was in love with him or not, so how can they? Love never interfered with my decision-making process one way or another—and how could it when I don't even know what being in love means? What do I know of love, anyway? What is love next to survival? I don't even know how to love."

"That's not true, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said forcefully into her ear. "I've seen you sacrifice yourself over and over again in order to protect those you care for. That's love. I've seen you fiercely stand up for those you care for even in the face of bad odds. That's love. I've seen you walk away from an easy path in order to take a harder one that you thought was right because of duty and loyalty to your people. That's love."

He could tell that Xing'er didn't know how to respond to what he'd just said; she never had been able to reply to his emotional declarations, really. Yuwen Yue figured she'd freeze up and then move on to her next confession. Her next move, however, still managed to surprise him.

"Could you have really killed him?" she asked, pulling back slightly and looking up at him with wide, teary eyes.

He stared down into her eyes, losing himself for he didn't know how long. There were so many ways he could answer, and he knew how much his future might depend on which one he chose.

"Yes," he said lowly, never breaking eye contact with Xing'er. "Yes, I could've killed him. Because it had to be done. Because somebody had to do it. Because I could've stopped him sooner but didn't. And because...the Yan Xun that I knew...the man who had been my brother...he would've been horrified at what he'd become and would've begged me for death."

To his immense relief, Xing'er laid her head back on his shoulder, seeming to accept his answer.

"I'm sorry I accused you of wanting to kill Yan Xun, of not being capable of feeling...Yuwen Yue, I'm glad you didn't have to kill him. So glad."

"So am I, Xing'er," he said, pulling her closer again. "I never wanted to kill him, but I didn't feel I had a choice."

"In the bathhouse in Wupeng, I wasn't trying to kill you, not at first. I just wanted to escape and make it back to Yanbei."

"Stop lying, Xing'er; you were really trying to seduce me," he couldn't resist saying.

She gave a muffled laugh-sob into his shoulder, softly slapping him in the side with one of her hands.

"You just keep thinking that, you scoundrel."

"How can you still deny it? Loosening me up with a massage? Leaving the tied-up girl in my wardrobe and taking her place? Putting those clingy, sheer bedclothes around your shoulders? So obvious," he said, shaking his head pensively in mock chagrin.

She stepped back, removed her arms from around his waist, and placed her hands on her hips, indignation and humor warring on her face. He found the combination much more appealing than rage and grief.

"Yuwen Yue! How can you have such dirty thoughts at a time like this? I'm trying to be serious!"

"I know you are," Yuwen Yue said, his expression sobering. "I just wanted to make you laugh a little, to see you smile—especially since things are going to get serious again shortly. There are some things I have to tell you, too; things that I want you to...understand."

Xing'er stared at him warily but lowered her hands from her waist, letting them hang at her sides as if she were at a loss as to what to do with them. He took a gamble and stepped forward, tentatively pulling her close to him again. Her arms promptly wound themselves around his waist again with no hesitation, swelling his heart—and his determination.

"Xinger," he said, pulling back slightly so that he could look into her eyes. "Do you remember what I told you about the ice arrow when you asked if only I could wield it?"

Her face paled several shades and the nod of her head followed the same direction the tears on her face had taken.

"You said that it was just a weapon and that anybody could learn to use it with enough control," she whispered. "You didn't shoot the arrow. It wasn't you. Please say it wasn't you."

"It wasn't me, Xing'er. It was...I couldn't tell anyone the truth, Xing'er, because the shooter was operating under orders from a dead man. When you opened that secret door, did you happen to notice a stocky, gray-haired man standing near my grandfather?"

"Y-yes, I think so," Xing'er said softly. "It was him, wasn't it? Not you. It wasn't you."

"It wasn't me, Xing'er," he said again, holding her a little tighter. "His name is Zhan Mou, and he's a decent, honorable man. He is, however, to my grandfather what Yue Qi is to me or He Xiao is to you in terms of loyalty and willingness to follow orders. I had my own crossbow out and loaded with an ice arrow, ready to...all I wanted was for you—both of you—to live. I was so focused on what was happening that I didn't hear...didn't see...until it was too late. Xing'er, I've respected that man since I was a little boy, but when I realized what he'd done, I...I beat him. I was so..."

"You had to tell everyone it was you because you couldn't tell them the shooter's real identity. And so you got...rewarded."

A tremor went through Yuwen Yue, and he knew that Xing'er felt it. Her arms tightened in sympathy, but she said nothing.

"The emperor, he...as it was, just for the little that I did up on Jieyou Platform, he sent me to the front to punish me. Going off to war, fighting at the border, and becoming friends with Prince Xiang ended up being the making of me and I don't regret it, but the emperor threatened my whole family and all I was responsible for. Qing Shan Yuan, the Eyes of God, my servants, my men, what was left of my family...you...all of those could've ended up like Yan Xun's family and Yanbei had I outwardly resisted. Even so, I came perilously close to losing my composure, to doing something..."

Yuwen Yue felt Xing'er tremble in his arms, and his first instinct was to think that maybe some of that tea hadn't dried, after all. Then his mind caught up with his senses and he realized that she was softly weeping into his chest.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "So sorry. So sorry I didn't understand. So sorry I didn't know I could trust you. So sorry you had to go through all of that knowing what I thought of you. I'm sorry."

"Oh, X'er," he whispered. "I'm sorry, too. Sorry there were some things I couldn't tell you that you found out about in terrible ways. Sorry that there were some things that I could've told you but I didn't because of pride or family honor. Sorry that you ever thought I'd send you off to die, that you didn't know how much I...When I shot you with that dart, I swear I was going to come home quickly and save you, keep you safe. But the emperor, he wanted to punish me, so he made me kneel, and kneel, and kneel...and then the Liang spies ambushed me...and by time I got back..."

His arms were iron bands around her; he knew it, but he couldn't make them relax. She didn't complain, though, and simply gripped him harder around the waist in return.

"I know, Yuwen Yue," she said softly, never loosening her grip. "I know you'd never hurt me—not without good reason, anyway."

"And when I said what I said in order to save your life...it wasn't true, X'er. I didn't mean it. Your fierceness, your fire, your spirit...those are all things I l...Never lose that, X'er," Yuwen Yue said, suddenly stepping back out of her grip and gently cupping her chin in one of his hands. "Never."

Now it was his turn to walk away, taking the few steps needed to reach the fire—not because he was too cold inside, but because he was too hot. Xing'er seemed to have understood his need for space, though, because she'd retreated to the table and had poured herself a cup of what was likely lukewarm tea. She didn't seem to notice the tea's temperature, however; he figured she probably wasn't even aware of what she was drinking.

"One more thing, Yuwen Yue," Xing'er said, tea cup in hand.

He turned around and faced her, able to feel the uncertainty written on his face.

"On the tower...when I told you I'd been deceiving you about my motivations and feelings the entire time I'd been at Qing Shan Yuan...I lied."

She set down her tea cup, stood up from her chair, and went over to one of the corners, taking her time with the process of rummaging through the food supplies. He knew she probably wasn't really hungry, but he gave her the space they both needed. In spite of the heavy words that had passed between them, he couldn't remember the last time he'd ever felt lighter—or more hopeful about the future.

* * *

Although A'Jing had only been meeting with the few generals he had left for a relatively short time, he already felt like he'd been observing their arguing and power-mongering for days. Nobody could agree on a specific course of action, and he could already see a schism forming between those who wanted to focus on vengeance on the conspirators and those who were more concerned about dealing with the problem of Wei. He knew that Yan Xun, decent politician that he had been, had hated the tedium of these advisement sessions, so he wasn't surprised to have his low expectations for this particular meeting met.

He propped his head up on one of his hands and blearily stared at General Something-or-Other as he blathered on about the glory of Yanbei and the grave insult that had been given her this day. A'Jing knew that the man whose name he couldn't even remember didn't care a single bit for Yanbei but was only using this opportunity to try to grab more power and influence for himself—and, ultimately, from A'Jing.

A commotion at the entrance to the throne room shook A'Jing out of his stupor as an attractive woman dressed all in black strode the length of the room as if she owned it. The woman had an angular face, pointed chin, and a smile that told him that she was anything but trustworthy. In her favor, however, was the fact that she might at least prove to be interesting and disruptive enough to put an end to this pointless meeting.

She reached the throne area, acknowledged the other generals, and bowed low to him, greeting him with the proper terms typically reserved for the ruler of Yanbei. Since she'd come closer, he could see that she was dressed in the style of the band of warriors that Zhong Yu had once led—that his own woman had fought in not long ago. He'd believed the last of them outside of Zhong Yu to have died in the battle for Hongchuan, but this woman certainly seemed to fit their typical mold with her black robes, fierce expression, and confident carriage.

"As the last remaining loyal warrior of my order, I've come to offer you my services," the woman said, smiling up at him.

"You're not familiar to me," A'Jing said suspiciously. "I knew most of those women, and I know I've never seen you among them."

"Your Highness, I was away on an undercover mission to Liang and had not been back to Yanbei for several years. Only recently have I been able to return to the area after completing my mission, assuming that I'd be able to rejoin my sisters and to have an assignment closer to home. After I returned, however, all I found was death, decline, and distrust-so I decided to bide my time and wait for the right moment to come forward."

"In other words, you waited for a power vacuum to open up before trying to take advantage of it," snarled General What's-His-Face, another thorn in A'Jing's side whose name he hadn't bothered to learn.

"I'm sure that course of action would bear no resemblance to those of anyone else in this room," the woman said, smiling sweetly again.

A'Jing heard some muttering, but he also heard some chuckling. He could tell that a decent number of the generals seemed to be responding well to this woman, probably wanting to believe that this beautiful creature had truly come forward to help them in this dark hour. A'Jing figured that the woman was probably lying, but he couldn't bring himself to care. At least she was entertaining, which was more than he could say for the rest of the generals.

"Do you have any proof of your identity, Miss…?"

"Ying Tao, Your Highness," the woman said, curtsying prettily. "And I have this seal that proves me to be a member of my order."

She carefully removed a metal seal from her robe and handed it to a servant, who handed it to A'Jing. His eyebrows raised as he recognized the seal as one from Zhong Yu's order, albeit a few years older than the last ones they'd issued.

 _That would, of course, make sense given the context of her story,_ he mused as he stalled for time by further examining the seal. _She wouldn't have the newest seal if she'd been in Liang all this time and then had come back to war and chaos. In all honesty, I don't care if she's telling the truth. She's beautiful. She carries herself like a fighter. These hardened generals are responding to her, so maybe the rest of the men will, too._

"What is it that you want to do, Miss Tao?" A'Jing asked the woman, handing the seal back to the servant to give to her.

"Your humble servant only wants to help you to get revenge on those who have brought dishonor to Yanbei and its rightful ruler," the woman said, clasping her hands and bowing. "I'm willing to do whatever's necessary to accomplish that goal."

 _Maybe I can turn the task of unifying the army over to her since her face is more likely to win them over than mine,_ A'Jing mused as he wondered at the truth behind the mysterious Ying Tao.

"Your service and advice would be welcome at this time, Miss Tao. Please, join us. Maybe a fresh opinion will be able to take us in the right direction."

The woman bowed with outward humility, but the triumphant look on her face made his skin crawl. A'Jing knew that this woman was likely untrustworthy and would probably present a problem to him in the future, but he figured that he'd at least be able to use her to accomplish his current objective, and then…

 _If she causes too much trouble,_ A'Jing mused as he nodded in agreement with a solid point that Miss Tao had just made, _I can always just kill her. Or maybe I'll die in battle and she'll become someone else's problem._

* * *

Chu Qiao knew that she needed to rest, but she also knew that Yuwen Yue needed to sleep even more than she did. Given that his escape had been more physically demanding than hers and that his body tended to react negatively to the cold, he needed to relax, even if only for a few hours. However, she knew how proud Yuwen Yue was and how much he despised looking weak in front of people.

Squaring her shoulders in determination and planning her attack, Chu Qiao brought a couple of handfuls of food over to the battered table. The small loaf of bread she neatly sliced up; the packet of smoked meat she simply set out. She walked over to the fire and poured some water she'd left near it into the teapot so that she could make some fresh tea. Yuwen Yue was still standing near the fire, so she smiled at him and tilted her head towards the sitting area.

"I'm preparing us a sumptuous feast that will surely rival anything you've ever experienced in Chang'an," she said, gesturing towards the food and teacups.

"So I see," Yuwen Yue said, a corner of his mouth twitching. "I heard that the artistic masterpieces in our sitting area once served royalty, so failing to provide sophisticated fare to match such an illustrious history would be a serious breach of etiquette."

"Indeed, it would be, Young Master Yue," Chu Qiao said, curtsying. "Please have a seat at my table so that I can serve you fresh tea and a meal fit for an emperor."

Yuwen Yue played along, and Chu Qiao busied herself with the process of making tea once again. She glanced behind her, smiling inside as she noted that Yuwen Yue was outwardly concentrating on chewing his way through a piece of smoked meat but was obviously watching her prepare their tea. He always had, even in their early days.

This time, Chu Qiao's hands didn't shake as she poured the tea into the small teacups. If nothing else, at least the tea would provide an extra bit of warmth for Yuwen Yue before she convinced him to go to sleep.

He picked up the cup of tea and sniffed it, staring pensively into the middle distance as if he were evaluating it. Closing his eyes and slowly taking a sip, he swallowed the tea down while appearing to be deep in thought.

"In addition to the mint leaves that are likely only a couple of years old, I can detect hints of the clay pot used to store the water combined with the taste of dust from the Yanbei palace. Your tea-making skills are unparalleled, Xing'er."

"I felt that you might appreciate an earthy flavor to your tea, Young Master Yue; I'm glad that you approve."

"I do approve," he said, taking another swallow. "In fact, I want you to make the tea precisely this way from now on."

Chu Qiao's eyes widened at the implications of what he was saying, but she decided to respond playfully.

"Of course, Young Master Yue," she said brightly, curtsying again. "I'll even make sure to age the water for several days in an authentic Yanbei clay pot for just the right flavor."

"I'll hold you to that, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said, giving her one of those intense looks that never failed to make her short of breath.

She looked down and turned her attention to her own food and drink, ready to put her plan into action. Right on time, he finished eating and took the last sip of his tea.

"Well, now that you've eaten, you should probably get some rest," Chu Qiao said cheerfully, gesturing towards the bed.

"I'm fine," Yuwen Yue said, his mask firmly in place. "You should rest, though, Xing'er; I know you've had a long, hard day."

"Oh, don't worry about me, Yuwen Yue," Chu Qiao said, taking another sip of tea. "I don't need much sleep anyway. After all, I'm used to standing guard late at night against assassination attempts; I can easily do the same thing now while you sleep."

"You know full well that I don't need much sleep, either," Yuwen Yue said. "I'm the leader of the Eyes of God, not a low-level soldier."

"But you had a tougher time escaping than I did, and you didn't get much sleep last night, either, did you? Didn't you say that you were ambushed?"

"Yes, they did get ambushed," Yuwen Yue said, suddenly seeming more awkward than the question warranted.

"They? Weren't you there, too?"

Yuwen Yue sighed.

"Xing'er, I have another confession to make," he said, looking pained. "I can't believe I forgot to tell you this earlier, but you're not going to believe me the first time I say it, anyway, so at least I'll have plenty of opportunity to repeat the story."

"What? Of course I'll believe you, Yuwen Yue! Haven't we promised to be honest with each other from now on?"

Yuwen Yue almost smiled, and his eyes gentled perceptibly.

"Actually, Xing'er, I never promised to be honest—but I've told you no lies tonight, and I won't do so now. No, I promise that what I'm about to tell you is, sadly, the truth."

Chu Qiao simply looked at him expectantly, doing her best to keep her eyes curious and open.

"I wasn't in the Meilin border town we had holed up in because I'd gotten a letter from my pen friend."

"Your what?"

"My pen friend. We'd been corresponding since we were young, and we'd told each other many details about our lives without overtly revealing our identities. _He_ always signed _his_ name as 'Brother Yu,' so I thought that my pen friend was a male."

"You only _thought-?"_

"I only _thought,_ " Yuwen Yue confirmed with a world-weary sigh.

"So you've actually been pouring your heart out to a woman all this time?" Chu Qiao asked, hating the small thread of jealousy that slipped into her voice.

She hated even more that Yuwen Yue noticed, the sadness in his eyes temporarily replaced with a slight gleam. His expression turned pensive again, however, as he took a breath and continued his story.

"My pen friend asked me to meet them at a certain location at night, so I went to that place and...she was there."

"Who?"

"My pen friend."

"Yes, I know your pen friend was there. Who is she?"

Silence.

"Yuwen Yue?"

"'Brother Yu' is actually Xiao Yu, Liang's princess—and head spy."

Chu Qiao wanted to say something; she really did. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, but nothing came out.

"I don't believe it," she finally croaked out.

"See, Xing'er? I told y-"

"I believe you," she said swiftly. "Don't worry, Yuwen Yue; I believe _you_. I just don't believe _it._ In fact, I want to make sure that I understand you properly before you tell me any more. You've been writing to what you thought was a boy since you were young. You wrote him a bunch of things that you wouldn't—couldn't-tell anyone else, thinking that you were safe to do so. Yesterday, you got a letter from your pen friend inviting you to a meeting, which you attended—only to be surprised by your supposedly male pen friend outing 'himself' as your arch-enemy. Then you, what, talked? And left after ending the relationship?"

"You left out the detail where she poisoned me."

"What?!"

"Well, technically she had poisoned the letter, but only with some mild knock-out drugs. She wanted to kill me, you see, but in the end, she couldn't do it. She still saw me as her pen friend and wanted...well, she didn't get what she'd hoped for. She knows you're Luo He's daughter, by the way; I figured you should know that in case she tries to make trouble with that knowledge."

"So if I hadn't have told you the truth about my identity, you would've found out about it from yet another person close to you who'd turned into an enemy?"

"Mmm," Yuwen Yue agreed. "Instead, I get to tell Luo He's daughter the truth about the Liang princess's identity while we're both sitting in a cave, presumably being charged with the assassination of the other close person who turned into an enemy."

Chu Qiao blinked a few times before reaching a decision. She swiftly stood up and walked over to stand beside Yuwen Yue.

"That's it," she said, grabbing one of his arms in both hands and pulling him upright.

She knew that she couldn't have moved him unless he'd allowed her to, but she assumed that he'd stood up at her prompting out of shock at her actions.

"Xing'er-"

"Don't you 'Xing'er' me, Yuwen Yue," she said, turning him towards the bed and pushing him towards it. "We're both exhausted. We've both done some hard things today. We've both said and heard terrible things tonight. We're both currently hiding in a cave that's virtually undetectable and that's only known to a handful of people, two of which are us. We're both mature adults, and we're both going to get into this marginally-comfortable bed and sleep for a couple of hours until Zhong Yu and Mister Wu wake us up."

Chu Qiao continued to push a somewhat bewildered Yuwen Yue towards the bed. Eventually, he stopped and wouldn't give in to her prodding anymore.

"Okay, fine, Xing'er," he said, "but you're sleeping near the wall. I'll sleep on the outside so that I'll be able to grab Po Yue Jian and defend us from anything that breaks through the door."

"Are you saying that I can't do the same thing with Can Hong Jian?"

"Of course not, Xing'er, but my sleeping on the outside just makes more sense."

"Why? Because you're a man?"

"No. Because I'm bigger."

"Well, I'm faster."

"Would you like to test that theory?"

"No; I'd like for you to stop acting like a Yanbei general and do something that makes sense for once."

"Technically, you're a Yanbei general, Xing'er."

"Actually, I'm not, remember? Yan Xun demoted me. I would also assume that slitting the throats of other generals would be official grounds for demotion as well."

The corners of Yuwen Yue's mouth twitched, and he did something Chu Qiao would never have believed possible: he grinned. At first, she thought he was grimacing in pain, but the reluctantly-forming expression continued to grow as the normally impassive face of her former master transformed into a modest smile that was the equivalent of a toothy grin for anyone else.

"Yuwen Yue?" Chu Qiao asked in concern. "Are you okay?"

"No, Xing'er, I'm obviously not okay. I've apparently turned into an idiot. You're demanding that I go to bed with you and I'm actually arguing with you about it. I'll even let you sleep on the outside; I don't care. I'll beat you to my sword no matter where I am on the bed anyway if someone attacks us."

Without another word, Yuwen Yue began to empty his robes of all of the spy gadgetry that he carried on himself during his missions. He pulled out one thing after another, laying them all out on a small wooden table near the bed. Po Yue Jian he propped up against the table, seemingly unconcerned that he'd have to go over her to get to it.

He pulled the covers back and crawled into the bed, leaving plenty of space for Chu Qiao to follow him. She gulped before doing the same thing with her weapons and sword. She dimmed none of the lamps, not wanting to take the risk of having to face a potential attack from enemies in the dark. What had seemed like such a good idea before seemed like much less of one now that she was actually looking at Yuwen Yue lying in that bed and waiting for her.

 _Come on, you coward_. _It's not like the two of you have never shared a bed before._

Thinking about the other times when they had shared a bed didn't help her peace of mind. He was looking at her expectantly and smirking, however, so she knew that she had to show no signs of weakness or else he would tease her mercilessly. She also knew that she desperately needed the rest; even a few hours of sleep would be better than none-especially if tomorrow ended up being as challenging as she expected it to be.

Chu Qiao slowly climbed into bed beside Yuwen Yue, pulling the covers up all the way to her chin and stretching out flat on her back. She figured that she would've felt more relaxed on the floor given the circumstances.

 _I'd probably feel more relaxed were I back in the_ _city_ _prison_ _being interrogated about our coup attempt,_ she acknowledged, sighing in frustration.

"Xing'er," Yuwen Yue muttered from beside her, his eyes closed. "Run away with me."

"What?!" Chu Qiao said, quickly turning over to face her bed partner.

"Our plan has clearly not worked out, so you should run away with me. We can start our own kingdom somewhere else where we can make our own rules."

"Did you put something extra in your tea while my back was turned? Or maybe you got shot with a poisoned dart and didn't tell me."

"No, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said, "I'm perfectly fine. I also feel like my request was quite logical."

"Of course it was, Yuwen Yue," Xing'er said sweetly. "Go to sleep."

"I can't seem to empty my mind enough to fall asleep."

"That shouldn't be too difficult for you to do," Chu Qiao muttered under her breath.

"What was that, Xing'er?"

"Nothing. The acoustics in this cave are strange; sometimes you might even hear things that aren't there."

"Mmmm, I see. So will you run away with me and help me to start my new kingdom?"

"Okay, fine, Yuwen Yue. I'll run away with you and set up a kingdom with you—but only if I get to rule it."

"We'll rule it together, Xing'er—you and I. I'll be the prince, and you can be my princess."

Chu Qiao felt short of breath again at the words and their tone.

"Why stop at prince and princess? Why not emperor and empress? If we're starting our own kingdom, we may as well be clear about our intentions from the start."

"How delightfully rebellious of you, Xing'er. Okay, emperor and empress we'll be. Where will we go? Mountains? Coast? Desert? Plains? I'll take you anywhere you want to go."

"I've had enough of the mountains," Chu Qiao said firmly, shivering. "Besides, we need to go somewhere warm so that you won't have to worry about the cold. The desert would be warm but too dry for my tastes, I think. As for the coast...water tends to get me in trouble, don't you think?"

"So that leaves the plains, then," Yuwen Yue said.

"But the plains are so flat and open, so easy to attack and hard to defend with all of that open land that's perfect for camping enemy armies."

"You're so hard to please, Xing'er."

"You're only just figuring this out now?"

"Oh, no; I've known it for a long time. I just forgot because I'm so tired."

"I'm getting tired, too," Chu Qiao said, realizing it was true.

"So where would you like to live, Xing'er?"

"I don't know," she murmured drowsily. "Someplace hilly but not too cold. Someplace easy to defend but enjoyable to live in. Someplace close enough to people that we can go to a city if we need to but far enough away from everything that we can be ourselves. Someplace we could set up a secret lair—because as emperor and empress spies, we'd have to have a secret lair—and house all of our people. And a waterfall. I want it to have a waterfall."

"I think I can arrange for you to live in a place like that, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said huskily.

Chu Qiao was thankful that the lighting was so dim because she knew she was blushing badly due to her realization that she'd just described Qing Shan Yuan perfectly.

"It would have to be a place where we'd both be welcome, where we could both live in peace," she whispered sadly. "I don't think that the place you're thinking of will fit that description."

"So we'll go somewhere else," Yuwen Yue said, not missing a beat. "We'll find a hilly, beautiful place and make our own way in the world, you and I. We'll build a palace that will make the one in Chang'an look like a mud hut. We'll have the strongest, bravest soldiers and the wisest philosophers."

"No slaves," Chu Qiao murmured, relaxing for what felt like the first time in her life.

"Of course not," Yuwen Yue said lowly.

"No starvation. No poverty. No illness."

"No schemes. No plots. No paranoia," Yuwen Yue said in a comforting monotone.

"Mmmmm," Chu Qiao hummed in happiness, gladly beginning to lose her grip on consciousness.

"That's right, Xing'er," she heard Yuwen Yue whisper tenderly. "Relax."

"Relax," she whispered.

"I'll keep you safe, Xing'er. I swear it."

"Feel safe," Chu Qiao agreed, latching onto the warm, solid arm next to her that smelled and felt like peace and security.

Something strong yet gentle pulling her into a large pocket of warmth that made her feel like she'd come home was the last thing she sensed before losing consciousness.

* * *

"You're absolutely certain that the man on the back of Chu Qiao's horse was Yuwen Yue," Dong Fang Ji questioned his spy.

"Yes, Master," the spy said. "I identified him myself before leaving the fight the rest of us were having with him in the street."

"And the woman was undoubtedly Chu Qiao?"

"The men at the gate identified her, and her horse was missing from the stables. The figure seen on horseback was small yet skillful, and the rider purposefully rescued Yuwen Yue."

Dong Fang Ji had heard the rumors about the relationship between Young Master Yue and his erstwhile maid like most other well-connected people had, but he'd also, like most, considered Chu Qiao to be Yan Xun's woman. Considering her rebel status, he figured that convincing His Highness that Chu Qiao had lured Yuwen Yue away with promises of safety only to turn on him later wouldn't be too difficult.

 _After all, they'll hopefully all be dead anyway by time Prince Xiang reaches Xiuli Mountain. All he'll have to do will be to clean up the mess and the takeover will be complete. He'll presumably put someone he can control on the throne here, which will likely be…_

"You've been unable to locate Prince Song, I take it?" Dong Fang Ji asked his subordinate.

"Yes, Master," he said, clasping his hands and bowing. "We've looked everywhere, but he and those with him have hidden themselves well after successfully escaping from our ambush."

"Keep looking," Dong Fang Ji said, scowling. "If you do find him, try to think of a way to get him to go to Xiuli Mountain, too. If both he and Yuwen Yue were to die there, that would make my plans even simpler."

"Yes, Master."

"Tell the men that they've done well," Dong Fang Ji said, inclining his head towards his spy. "I can't blame you for being unable to defeat Yuwen Yue in combat, but drawing attention to his presence was helpful to our cause. Telling Princess Yuan Chun to wait until that night to go after Yan Xun was risky, but I can't argue with the result."

"Our man knew that he was taking a risk since so much could've gone wrong, but you had said to do everything we could to ensure that Yan Xun was assassinated, so..."

"He took a chance, and he will be greatly rewarded for the results," Dong Fang Ji said, rubbing his mustache in satisfaction.

The spy inclined his head in acknowledgment.

"Should we go to Xiuli Mountain as well?"

"No," Dong Fang Ji said, frowning. "We don't want to be seen anywhere near there. Have the men concentrate on finding Prince Yuan Song and gathering information in the city. Make sure that they understand that they are to watch for even the smallest opportunity to cause chaos in Yanbei and to take it immediately when it presents itself. Now is not the time for timidity. Victory is within our grasp, and we must simply reach out and take it."

"I will tell them, Master," the spy said, clasping his sword in front of him and bowing his head.

"You may leave," Dong Fang Ji said.

After the spy walked out of the tent, Dong Fang Ji paced the length of it several times, thinking. He had, of course, accompanied His Highness as an adviser and intended to do everything that he could to help the young prince take over as much territory as possible.

 _And if Prince Yuan Song were to meet an unfortunate end in Yanbei, too, then perhaps His Highness could be persuaded to put someone with age and experience on the throne of Yanbei, someone he could trust—like me…_

Dong Fang Ji exited his tent, deciding that he fancied a boat ride with an old friend.

 _Perhaps Zhan Ziyu will be willing to assist me in this endeavor as well—after all, he has a vested interest in making sure that Luo He's daughter never learns the truth about his involvement in her mother's death..._

* * *

Yuwen Yue flew through the air, yet he felt no pleasure in the flight as he winged his way to the top of one of the towers of Hong Shan Yuan. He could see an unmistakable figure brandishing a sword on the tower as if it were getting used to the heft of an unfamiliar blade.

His black robes camouflaged him from the world below, but the woman he'd flown towards saw him instantly and quickly put her sword—Can Hong Jian, he noted-at his throat. He felt as if he'd been here a thousand times, yet he didn't know what was going to happen next.

"What are you doing?" Yuwen Yue asked, feeling unable to say anything else.

"Can't you tell?" the woman dressed in black said saucily. "I killed Cheng Yuan, and now I'm escaping."

He stared at her in confusion, his mind unable to make sense of any of her words.

"Don't look so surprised," she said, her face hard as jade. "Cheng Yuan killed my Xiulis. I got vengeance for them by killing him and his officers. It is my mercy."

"This is what you are," he said, once again not really knowing why.

 _Xing'er had killed Yuwen Xi—or was it Cheng Yuan? She'd gotten vengeance for her si_ _blings_ _—or her Xiulis. And now that she'd finished her job, she was escaping from Hong Shan Yuan—or_ _Hongchuan_ _?_

Yuwen Yue shook his head in confusion.

"I told you earlier tonight, Yuwen Yue," Xing'er said, Can Hong Jian pointed in his face as she walked slowly around him. "I have always lived in danger, fearing for my life. If I don't disguise myself, how can I possibly survive?"

"Very good," Yuwen Yue said as if by rote. "You even tricked me."

A mocking smile grew on Xing'er's face.

"You taught me well. However, there is no need to feel sad over losing me; I am, after all, just a spy of sacrifice trained by you. We are the only people here; you don't need to pretend."

 _But we just talked about all of this tonight in the cave!_ he wanted to shout, but he couldn't. _You know I don't see you this way. You know I...you know I love you._

"You and Yan Xun were against each other. You should be happy that I killed Cheng Yuan."

 _I am! He was evil and was dangerous to you. Why can't I tell you that now?_

"So you're saying...that I should be grateful for what you did?"

"There's no need for that," she said impudently, glaring at him with hatred. "Because you are going to pay with your life for killing Yan Xun."

She immediately launched into an attack, Can Hong Jian and Po Yue Jian meeting in a flurry of strokes and parries. Xing'er was immensely skilled with her blade and was obviously enraged and hurt, making her dangerous. The last thing he wanted to do was to fight with the woman he loved, but he knew he had no choice. His feeling of having been here before intensified, and he somehow knew that this was always how this scene went.

They slashed their way back and forth across the top of the tower, he trying to defend himself and Xing'er obviously trying to kill him. He blocked each of her strikes mechanically as if he were participating in a test that nobody had told him had been scheduled.

"What do you want?" he was finally able to ask after being able to push her back and gain a bit of separation between them.

"Revenge for killing Yan Xun," she answered calmly, her sword at the ready.

"I have explained that I didn't kill Yan Xun," he said, cocking his head in puzzlement. "Chun'er killed Yan Xun, not me."

"Explained?" Xing'er said, practically vibrating with rage. "What are you going to explain? Explain the fact that we were used to decimate Yanbei's leadership? Or the fact that you lied to and betrayed me again?"

 _We already talked about this! I've already explained everything! If there's something else you want me to explain, ask me and I'll tell you, I swear. Xing'er, listen to me!_

"What do you know about our plans?" he asked instead, feeling as if he were a puppet in someone else's play.

"Does it matter? I only blame myself for finding out about them too late. In order to make the world think that I'd betrayed Yan Xun, you murdered him in his bed and then implicated me!"

"Xing'er, listen to me!" he was finally able to say.

"Don't call me Xing'er!" she screamed, pulling a familiar cluster of silver bells from inside of a pocket in her robes. "I'm not Xing'er!"

His heart shattered along with the bells as they bounced all over the top of the tower. He'd truly thought they'd worked things out this time, that maybe she'd finally be able to…

"I am not Xing'er!" she yelled again for emphasis, her chest heaving from the tears in her eyes that were threatening to spill over.

He longed to fold her in her arms and hold her close as he clearly remembered doing earlier that night, but he was paralyzed, rooted to the spot. All he could do was watch in utter devastation as she gripped Can Hong Jian and its scabbard in her hands and glared at him like a cornered animal. She lunged at him with her sword and the battle was on again.

They exchanged blows until he managed to get both his sword and hers in front of her, his at her throat, but she dropped her sword out of one hand and grasped it in the other. Somehow he knew what she was going to do next, so he reacted in time to keep her from sacrificing her wings in order to get away from him and fall off the tower.

She landed on top of him, however, and gleefully jammed the edge of Can Hong Jian into the skin at his throat. With a feral grin, she slowly began to pull her sword— _his_ sword—along his throat, rivulets of blood starting to flow down his neck. He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound could come out. Somehow he got his hands free and made a last-ditch, desperate attempt at escape by trying to shove her off of him.

Miraculously, he succeeded, and she went flying. She quickly regained her footing, however, and lunged at him, landing back on top of him again. He thrashed his arms, but found them somehow being restrained by the fabric hangings around him.

"Yuwen Yue!" Xing'er seemed to be shouting at him in panic even though her mouth wasn't moving and she still looked enraged.

He lashed out again, but she evaded him. Yuwen Yue jumped on her, bringing her down hard on the soft— _soft?_ -surface. She cried out his name once again, asked him if they were under attack, but he couldn't figure out what was going on in the dimness of the tower— _the cave?-_ where they were fighting. Now he could see two Xing'ers, both of them dressed identically and both of them leaping for their swords— _his swords_.

Yuwen Yue knew that he couldn't let either Xing'er get rearmed, so he pulled them back into the bed— _the bed?_ -with him. The angry Xing'er disappeared, and he couldn't say he was sorry to see her go since the Xing'er who was left looked like the Xing'er he'd gone to bed with.

The thought of sleeping with Xing'er so thoroughly confused him that he started going through the comforting, grounding routine of sparring with the only person he knew who could keep up with him. This Xing'er blocked every hit, met every attack with an equal one of her own, and twirled with him in that intoxicating way that only she could manage.

He didn't even know how they'd moved from the bed to the open space in front of it, but they had, somehow managing to avoid the small table holding their weapons. Yuwen Yue gripped her in a complex series of holds, and she responded with the proper grips of her own. He whirled her around the cave, both of them lashing out at enemies that only they could see. The shadow world of his nightmares completely faded away, leaving him embarrassed in the presence of the woman he loved.

Her eyes—her gloriously open, honest eyes—bore no judgment of him, however, and she didn't seem to be too distressed to find herself suddenly braced against his back as he effortlessly lifted her by her waist and calf and gracefully turned them around and around in a circle. He put her down, and the battle resumed, the grabs, jabs, and holds escalating into a flurry of furious moves that resulted in him pinning her back on the bed just as he'd done years ago at Qing Shan Yuan.

Xing'er's hair had come loose in the night or in the battle, and he assumed that he looked equally disheveled. The cascade of her hair against the bedclothes and the look in her darkened, glittering eyes that he could just see in the dim lamplight put even more fire in his blood—as did the realization that the Xing'er in his nightmare had ended up on top of him because the real Xing'er had been sleeping in a similar position. They were black on black, darkness on darkness. Her chest was heaving, but she made no motion to get up, no attempt to try to escape. Slowly, as if still in a dream, he lowered his head towards hers.

"X'er," he rasped, his heart thrilling when she tilted her face up towards his.

The sudden sound of soft footsteps outside of the cave was like a bucket of cold water thrown across him, and he surged into action. He wasn't surprised to see Xing'er lunge with him towards the table that was propping up their matching swords, both of them grabbing and drawing their weapons at the same time.

* * *

AN: *ducks the rotten eggs and veggies* Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know; y'all wanted the kiss as much as they did. But our babies have terrible timing, so wouldn't you know they'd get interrupted by someone? That's just life in chaotic times, I'm afraid;). This may be a different path, but it still leads to that icy lake where much will become clear for our OTP. The time frame for the icy lake scene being posted is roughly 3 weeks from today if I stick to my outline; we'll just have to see...

A few housekeeping disclaimers: The Yellow Emperor is a famous Chinese ruler who lived a couple thousand years before PA takes place, so YWY is not being complimentary about how old the furniture looks. Some of the dream sequence above is quoted/paraphrased from the Eng-subbed version of the Hong Shan Yuan tower scene from Episode 21. I wanted to keep the flavor of the original scene while adding some of the new nightmare fuel YWY had recently gained. I think I'll keep posting music recs that give me OTP feels each week for the fun of it. This week's chapter is pretty much dedicated to our favorite spymaster, so the logical song of choice would be "I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz. I'm pretty sure everyone knows that song, but I can't pass up a song that starts off with, "When I look into your eyes, it's like watching the night sky," and goes from there. As for great covers, there are a million of them; I prefer the one by Peter Hollens, although you can't go wrong with the original.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: I know this chapter's long, but I really wanted to wrap up these loose ends and get the Battle of Xiuli Mountain—and thus the icy lake-going. I also ended up adding a XingYue scene at the bottom that I hadn't anticipated writing. Given how slowly Chu Qiao's emotional development can progress, I simply assumed she wouldn't be ready for something like the end of this chapter to happen just yet. She is, as y'all know, a forceful woman, however, and she told me she was ready. So don't thank me—thank her. You should find the legend of Po Yue Jian and Can Hong Jian I use to be familiar; if you don't recognize it, then you need to go read Lilliumscribe's "In-Laws and Outlaws" so you will. (No, seriously. If you haven't read that story yet, what are you even doing here? Go read it now.) Thank you, Lillium, for writing such an excellent story that gives us the satisfaction of seeing our OTP facing the world together.

* * *

The ruined Meilin Border town that Xia Chong had seen earlier in the daylight still looked pitiful in the scant moonlight that managed to filter through the clouds above. As a former Afterlife Camp assassin, she was skilled in the art of tracking people she needed to find—even those who didn't want to be found. This time, however, she wasn't hunting people to kill them but to save them.

Xia Chong finally found the decrepit structure she was looking for, having spotted it as the main building that her targets had holed up in earlier that day. She climbed up the outside of the building and ran swiftly and silently along the top of the cracked, dilapidated roof, stopping occasionally to listen for any sounds of detection. There were none, so she stopped above the window that she'd chosen to sneak into due to its proximity to the main area of the building where her targets were likely sleeping.

As she dropped into the window, she immediately realized her mistake as she felt the cold metal of a blade bite softly into her neck. She froze, knowing from experience that living to fight another day was more important than trying to do something foolish.

"If you are who I think you are," she said softly, "then I'm not your enemy. I have fresh news for the people of Yuan Song and Yuwen Yue that they need to know—that my master would want them to know."

"I know that voice," a woman said from behind Xia Chong, the sword-wielder's voice triggering Xia Chong's own memory.

"How did _you_ end up here, Meng Feng?" Xia Chong asked her former associate in disbelief.

"I could ask you the same question—except I know how those of our kind normally end up in places like this in the dark of night."

"In the front of my robes, I have a badge that will identify the man I work for, a man you'll hopefully recognize as an ally—at least in regards to our mutual friends."

"How do I know that your badge isn't actually a handful of poison darts?" Meng Feng asked.

"I could just give you the news here and you can decide if you think I'm trustworthy or not," Xia Chong said, conscious of how much time she was wasting.

"Since I can stand like this all night, I guess I may as well hear what you have to say—so talk."

"Earlier tonight, Yan Xun and many of his best generals were assassinated by a group of conspirators."

To Xia Chong's surprise, a masculine gasp came from a corner of the room. Not only had she believed the room to be empty save for the two of them, but given what she knew, she hadn't expected them to be surprised by the details.

"I figured you all knew about the plan and were even in on it," she told the room at large.

"We were, but since we were supposed to handle killing Yan Xun, we didn't think...it was Yuwen Yue, wasn't it?" Meng Feng asked in distress. "We were worried that something must've happened to keep him away from here, but we didn't know that he'd gone through with that part of the plan."

"Well, he did, and he was successful—if most of the citizenry is to be believed, at least. However, given the information I overheard, I know that Yan Xun's killer was Princess Yuan Chun, and that Xiao Yu, the Liang Princess and head spy, knows the truth."

The choked-out "Chun'er?" that came from the dark confirmed Xia Chong's suspicion about the identity of the corner-dweller.

"Yes, Prince Yuan Song," Xia Chong said. "I disguised myself as a serving girl at an inn where Xiao Yu was staying so that I could keep an eye on her, and your sister just happened to spend tonight at that same inn. She was dressed as a commoner, but her looks and bearing stood out in spite of her appearance—to the wrong person, it turned out."

Footsteps sounded from another corner of the room, and a small lantern was lit to provide some light. She knew who this man was, having been given his description by her master.

"Thank you, Yue Qi," she said, impressed when his demeanor didn't change at being identified. "My master told me about you—and that I could trust you if the mission went bad and I couldn't find Yuwen Yue."

"I think it's time you told us who your master was," Yue Qi said, carefully keeping out of the line of sight of Yuan Song, who she could now see was propping up a small crossbow on his left knee with his left finger on the trigger.

She slowly reached into her robes and pulled out Xiao Ce's seal, trusting that the man before her would surely recognize it given his position as Yuwen Yue's right hand and his history with her master. He took it from her and examined it, nodding in approval and acknowledgment. Meng Feng sheathed her sword and gestured towards the door.

Xia Chong followed her former associate's instructions and went into the hallway, following Yue Qi to the room she'd been planning on sneaking into in order to find someone to tell her news. She had to acknowledge that her original plan hadn't been particularly well-crafted, but she'd known that time had been running out and she'd felt its passage keenly.

The three of them sat down and Meng Feng gestured for Xia Chong to do so as well, offering her some wine and bread. She accepted, realizing that this could end up being her last chance to eat for quite some time. When she was finished, she continued delivering her news.

"We need to go to Xiuli Mountain as quickly as we can since that's likely going to be where everything comes to a head."

"Why Xiuli Mountain?" Yue Qi asked. "Wasn't the plan for Xing'er's troops to march on the city?"

"I don't know what the plan was in full, but if part of it was for Yuwen Yue to assassinate Yan Xun and to get out undetected, then that went wrong when someone discovered that Princess Yuan Chun had already killed him. Yuwen Yue had to flee, and ended up getting rescued by Q...Chu Qiao."

Xia Chong narrowly avoided using her master's nickname for his close friend, knowing that she'd likely make no friends here by using it. Xiao Ce had told her that some of them would call Qiao Qiao "Xing'er," so she'd been prepared for that.

"A'Chu?" Yuan Song asked gleefully. "A'Chu saved him?"

The young prince's face lit up with a boyish grin that transformed his appearance from a world-weary survivor into the playful, happy-go-lucky young man that Xiao Ce had described to her.

"How did she do it?" he asked, his face alight with interest.

"From what I've heard, she was riding hard on the road to Xiuli Mountain and he jumped off of the ramparts of the city and flew towards her while wearing a pair of black wings. Some city archers shot the wings, though, and he likely would've fallen to his death had Chu Qiao not kept pace with him on her horse and made a place for him to land behind her."

"Well done, A'Chu," the prince said, grinning manically and slapping his hand on the table. "And now she'll take care of him and keep him safe, and maybe..."

Xia Chong noticed how indulgently Meng Feng was looking at the young prince and filed that information away for future use. Given her plans, that affection could be useful in keeping him alive and ultimately seeing him on the throne as the true ruler of Yanbei—and, more importantly, as a stabilizing force in the region.

"Keeping Yuwen Yue safe is going to be difficult, their combined abilities notwithstanding. Enough people saw them riding towards Xiuli Mountain for word to get around, and most people around here know how dedicated Chu Qiao is to her troops. The remaining powers in Yanbei—which, unfortunately, now includes Xiao Yu, who has tricked the other generals into believing her to be on their side-have already sent troops to surround Xiuli Mountain, which means that the Xiulis at least won't be able to escape. And if the Xiulis can't escape..."

"Then A'Chu won't escape without them," Yuan Song said, his good humor evaporating in a moment.

"And my master won't leave her," Yue Qi said solemnly, taking a final swig of wine before standing up.

"I see you grasp the situation," Xia Chong said, also standing up. "We need to leave for Xiuli Mountain as soon as possible—although we should probably stop near the city first so that I can make contact with the spies I've set up here in Yanbei and get as much fresh news as I can."

"What will we do when we get there?" Meng Feng asked while packing up their supplies. "I'm assuming you have some sort of a plan."

"Did you guys have some sort of a plan when you fled from your first hideout and holed up here?" Xia Chong asked, not wanting to go into great detail about her orders from her master.

"Good point," Yuan Song said, doing as much work as he could with only one arm, which was a considerable amount to Xia Chong's eyes given the circumstances. "Besides, we're guilty of trying to follow A'Chu's plan, so we deserve to end up in chaos anyway."

Yue Qi's lips twitched in response.

"Xing'er's plans do tend to have unintended consequences—especially when the master's involved. But if he's in danger—if they're both in danger—then I want to be at their side no matter the cost."

"Me, too," Meng Feng said solemnly. "He saved me even after I poisoned Chu Qiao, and my life has been his ever since."

"That's more or less how I came to serve Crown Prince Xiao Ce," Xia Chong said. "Xiao Yu captured me; he learned of my existence and location; he rescued me. As you said, my life's been his ever since."

"We were all sent here as punishment by my father—or, in my case, as a means to rid himself of a shameful inconvenience—but Yuwen Yue is one of the few old friends I have left, and A'Chu..." Yuan Song said, pausing in reflection. "A'Chu and I have had our moments of misunderstanding, but with the fate of so much hanging in the balance, I'd rather fight with her than against her."

"I'm glad we're all agreed, then," Xia Chong said, relieved to finally be on the move again. "I take it you'll inform the rest of your people that we'll be heading out soon."

"I'll take care of that," Yue Qi said, striding out the door as if he, too, already wished himself gone from this sad, hopeless place.

"Can I help with anything?" Xia Chong asked Meng Feng and the prince.

"You can carry all of these things that I can't carry," Yuan Song said, not seeming to be bothered by his handicap in the slightest.

She did so without protest, noting again how close Meng Feng stayed to the prince and the way she looked at him. Xia Chong was happy that her former Afterlife Camp associate had found a better life the same way she had and that that life seemed to include the potential of a significant elevation in status through an advantageous marriage. Not that she remembered Meng Feng as someone who cared about status outside of its ability to give you the means to accomplish your goals, but if one could marry well...

As they left the rickety old building, Xia Chong inhaled a breath of crisp, cool air in thanksgiving. She was also glad that she hadn't had to outline her master's instructions to these people in order to get them to trust her. While she figured that they were all smart enough to know that she wasn't helping them just out the goodness of her heart, she hadn't wanted to lay out her master's interests so plainly.

" _Miss Chong," Xiao Ce had said during the mission's final briefing, "your primary goal is to ensure that my sister doesn't succeed in doing anything that could endanger the interests of Liang. Destabilizing relations between Wei and Yanbei was beneficial to us at first, but now, we need to proceed with caution-especially with the rumors of the emperor's ill health coupled with the likelihood of Prince Yuan Che ascending the throne."_

" _I understand, Crown Prince," Xia Chong had said, inclining her head._

" _Good. Second..." Xiao Ce had paused, obviously wanting to phrase his next point with delicacy. "Second, I want you to keep an eye on my sister in order to prevent her from doing anything that could endanger our interests even if it won't overtly endanger Liang."_

 _Xia Chong had merely smiled malevolently and nodded once._

" _I knew you and I could understand each other, Miss Chong," he'd said in appreciation. "Third, don't get caught."_

" _Naturally, Crown Prince," she'd said, dipping her head in acknowledgment. "I trust if my cover were to get blown, I'd be on my own."_

" _As much as I like you, Miss Chong..." Xiao Ce had said, raising his eyebrows meaningfully._

" _The interests of your people must come first."_

" _Just so," Xiao Ce had said before turning his piercing eyes on her in complete seriousness. "Miss Chong, I have a single caveat that overrides all of my previous instructions. If you find yourself in a situation where Qiao Qiao's in danger and you can protect her, then do it regardless of the consequences."_

" _Even if it endangers Liang?" Xia Chong had asked in surprise._

" _Yes," Xiao Ce had said firmly. "Save Qiao Qiao no matter what, and then do your best to protect the interests of Liang. You may leave first."_

 _Xia Chong had clasped her sword in her hands, bowed to the prince, and left with a greater understanding of her new master than when she'd entered the room._

As she rode out of the ransacked Meilin village on one of the horses that some of her other former Afterlife associates had liberated from the countryside, Xia Chong looked up at the cloudy sky, wondering if her master could see the stars in Liang that he was so fond of reading. Did he already know if she would succeed in her mission or fail? Was he even now preparing some contingency plan for if she couldn't stop Xiao Yu's scheme? Such things were beyond Xia Chong, so she simply concentrated on thinking about the things she could do once they got to Yanbei—and how she could get her new and old allies to help her to do them.

* * *

Chu Qiao had never been so simultaneously pleased and irritated with an interruption in her life. As she positioned herself at one side of the wooden screen while Yuwen Yue readied himself similarly on the other, she did her best to relegate the feelings and emotions still pulsing through her to the back of her mind where they belonged. She might not be experienced in love, but she was no fool; she knew exactly what had almost happened—what she'd wanted to happen.

 _A platoon of Yanbei soldiers out for vengeance might be about to attack you—so act like it!_

The soft crunch of footsteps sounded again on the loose pebbles of the corridor that led to the cave's entrance. Chu Qiao gripped Can Hong Jian tighter in her right hand and pointed its tip towards the wooden screen; Yuwen Yue did the same with Po Yue Jian. She realized that they had automatically stood in a two-person fighting stance, ready to take on together whatever threat might be waiting on the other side of the screen.

All noise ceased except the soft, almost undetectable sounds of breathing. Her stabled horse broke the silence by nickering in welcome, which Chu Qiao considered to be either a really good or really bad thing. A soft tap came on the wooden screen, followed by two harder raps and a scrape. Chu Qiao's shoulders relaxed slightly, but she still maintained her alert posture.

"A'Chu?" a feminine voice said on the other side of the partition. "A'Chu, it's Zhong Yu and Wu Daoya. We're coming home."

Chu Qiao sagged in relief and sheathed her sword, smiling a little as she noticed Yuwen Yue doing the same, trusting her implicitly.

"This is Chu Qiao and...Yuwen Yue. Welcome home."

She heard similar sighs of relief on the other side of the wooden screen and knew that she only had a few moments to explain what was going on.

"That exchange was our code for, 'Everything's fine; nobody's with us,'" Chu Qiao explained as she tugged on a leather strap in the middle of the screen, folding the partition inward. "Had someone forced them to come here, they would've said, 'We're coming in,' instead. Had an enemy been in here with me, I would've just given my name and said, 'Come in,' so they would've known this place wasn't safe."

"I'm glad you've decided I'm not your enemy," Yuwen Yue said, giving her a final intense look that took advantage of their last moments of privacy.

Chu Qiao deliberately slowed her movements, providing them with a few extra seconds alone.

"You'll never be my enemy again," she vowed, meeting his look with one of her own.

Whatever her specific feelings for Yuwen Yue were, she knew that she could never go back to being on a different side from him. No matter what path she ended up walking, she knew that it would be one on which Yuwen Yue was walking with her—even if that path was short and led straight to the afterlife.

Zhong Yu and Wu Daoya came in through the opening she'd made, and they greeted her warmly. Yuwen Yue they regarded more warily, but Chu Qiao could detect no animosity in their bearing. She replaced the wooden screen in its proper place, figuring it could provide them with a bit more protection for the next couple of hours until dawn made its use unnecessary.

"Is he the reason we had to abort the mission midway through?" Zhong Yu asked, inclining her head towards Yuwen Yue.

"Not exactly," Chu Qiao said. "In fact, I'll go ahead and say up front that he didn't kill Yan Xun."

"Is it true, then?" Zhong Yu said, sadness etched on her face. "Is he really gone?"

"Yes," Chu Qiao said softly. "Yuwen Yue saw his body himself—along with the rabbit tail charm his killer left behind."

"Chun'er?" Zhong Yu asked in shock. "Are you saying she actually managed to...If Yuwen Yue didn't kill him, then how was he in a position to see Yan Xun's body?"

"I wasn't helping Chun'er, if that's what you think," Yuwen Yue said speaking for the first time. "I did, however, conclude that this plan didn't have a chance of succeeding without the removal of Yan Xun by force and acted accordingly. I was too late, though, as Chun'er had already exacted her revenge by time I got into the palace."

"And when were you planning on informing us of your plans?" Zhong Yu asked. "When we got to the city the next day and it was in complete upheaval?"

"We have a lot to discuss," Chu Qiao said, not wanting to rehash the argument that she herself had already had with Yuwen Yue. "Come over to our fancy sitting area and have some tea and refreshments—or I can make some beans or rice if you want."

They stood in silence for a few moments, and she didn't know if her old friend was going to drop what Chu Qiao understood to be a valid line of questioning. She felt a surge of protectiveness for Yuwen Yue wash through her, and she realized with shock that she was prepared to put herself between Zhong Yu's potential wrath and the man she would do anything to keep safe.

"Okay," Zhong Yu said, sighing in resignation. "We don't have much time to salvage this plan anyway, and I haven't eaten since early afternoon. In fact, I specifically remember leaving some jars of wine in here yesterday, and something tells me that this story will be much easier to digest with a little assistance."

"You're probably right," Chu Qiao said, retrieving enough bottles and rickety chairs for all of them from one of the corners of the cave.

"Drinking this wine is the best thing that's happened to me since leaving the city," Wu Daoya said, closing his eyes as he took a large gulp of his wine. "Now give us a quick overview of what happened, and we'll see what we can do to make the rest of our plan work."

Chu Qiao sat in silence for a second, trying to figure out where to begin; she noticed that Yuwen Yue was having a similar problem. Their eyes met in silent communication and they reached a decision. She stood up and began the preparations for making rice, all too glad to allow Yuwen Yue to begin their story with his own misadventures instead of hers.

"It all started with an ambush that I missed because I was meeting with my pen friend," Yuwen Yue said into the silence.

Zhong Yu blinked at Yuwen Yue a couple of times before picking up her bottle of wine and drinking deeply from it.

Chu Qiao sympathized with her completely.

* * *

Xiao Yu had been amazed at how quickly the current leaders of Yanbei had fallen for her ruse, but Yanbei's rulers had never been known for their intelligence. They made good pawns and were often decent fighters, but they rarely amounted to anything more. She and her brother had agreed that the people of Wei were savage and rustic, but the residents of Yanbei made Wei look like a land of philosophers and wise men in comparison.

Even accounting for the sheer stupidity of Yanbei's people, Xiao Yu couldn't believe that she'd actually managed to infiltrate Yanbei's highest levels of military leadership by raiding an old hideout, using outdated clothes and seals found in it, and showing up while looking pretty. They hadn't even recognized the name of her former associate that she'd given as her own. Incredible. Yet here she was in the predawn hours, standing outside in the torchlight with the other generals of Yanbei, all of whom had their most intimidating faces on in order to impress the impressionable Yanbei troops.

The one everyone called A'Jing had seemed only too happy to delegate the speech-making duties to her, so here she was, giving a speech about the glory of Yanbei and the wages of betrayal to a bunch of dumb, rough Yanbei soldiers. As much as she and her brother were often at odds, she knew that he'd be able to appreciate the absurdity of her current circumstances.

She knew better than to speak too long, knowing the short attention span of the creatures standing before her. With a final call to action, Xiao Yu wrapped her speech up, managing to keep a straight face while receiving the accolades of the audience. Sounds of dissent also reached her ears, however, from multiple areas of the army camp in which they were all gathered.

"Why are all of us going to Xiuli Mountain when Wei could attack at any moment?" one faceless voice yelled out.

"Yan Xun never cared about us, so why should we care about him?" another voice supported the first.

"My family still draws breath because Chu Da Ren and her Xiuli troops were willing to lay down their lives for them," a younger voice piped up. "I'll not raise a hand against them no matter what they did."

"I heard they didn't even kill Yan Xun anyway," a female voice from the edge of the crowd said. "A friend of a friend of my sister's husband said that he saw proof that an ex-lover had killed him, not Yuwen Yue or Chu Qiao."

"Ah, nobody believes that bunch of lies, you moron!"

"Shut up, you boot-licker!"

Xiao Yu masked her amusement well, waiting to see if any of the big, tough men surrounding her were going to try to regain control over the soldiers and the civilians that had come in through the city entrance. She was somewhat surprised to realize that there were actually some people in Yanbei with common sense; naturally, she'd have to have them all killed. Mentally rolling her eyes, she stepped up to do what the men wouldn't.

"I know that tough times have put everyone under great stress, but fatigue and distress are not suitable excuses for betrayal. We ride for Xiuli Mountain as soon as possible; all who refuse this order will be punished for their disloyalty."

More dissent reached her ears, and she ran out of patience. She knew that Xiuli Mountain wasn't far, so she wanted to be able to greet Yuwen Yue and his woman properly in the early morning light. Xiao Yu gestured for the archers on the ramparts to nock and aim their arrows and was gratified to hear them doing so. She raised her hand and was about to drop it when A'Jing interrupted her.

"Miss Tao, we really don't have time for this. If we're going to reach Xiuli Mountain by early- to mid-morning, we need to leave now and march hard."

"But what are we supposed to do about these traitors?" Xiao Yu asked sharply.

"Leave them here," A'Jing said, shrugging. "Force them into the city and then tie the doors shut with ropes like we did while we were escaping from Chang'an. We can always kill them after we take care of the other traitors."

"Aren't you worried that they'll kill the townspeople?" Xiao Yu asked, not caring about the peasantry but curious to hear his answer.

"Not really. They're family men, most of them, and would see the city folk as allies rather than enemies. A few archers on the walls should keep them all in line until we can deal with them. They won't even have to be shut up in there that long—a day at most, I'd wager."

Xiao Yu clasped her hands and bowed, inwardly amused at A'Jing's lack of stomach. She would've had the men cut down without a second thought, but what did she care about some Yanbei troops anyway? Besides, their coalition had thousands of men at their disposal, so why should she care about what was surely no more than 500—especially when she knew that the Xiuli Legion had only about 100 men left in it?

"You heard His Highness!" Xiao Yu yelled out to those around her. "Lock the traitors up and then get ready to move out. We have some rebels to kill!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!" the rest of the troops chanted back at her.

That was a sentiment with which she could agree entirely. While she knew that she could never kill Yuwen Yue herself, she knew that she would have no problem whatsoever with ordering someone else to do so. Even if Yuwen Yue managed to survive their attack, however, her main goal was to kill _that woman._ Chu Qiao. Luo He's daughter. The one who had stolen the heart of a man she didn't know and of whom she wasn't worthy.

 _Even if I don't manage to kill Yuwen Yue, I will make sure that his woman dies—preferably in grisly fashion right in front of him. If he does manage to survive, I want him to live his life knowing what he's lost—and what he could've had._

As they marched for Xiuli Mountain and left the city locked up tight behind them, Xiao Yu lifted her face into the cool breeze blowing into it. She could swear that she smelled vengeance on the wind.

* * *

"Ah, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said, dipping his head towards his now-empty rice bowl, "that was the best rice I've had in days."

"Really?" Chu Qiao asked skeptically. "How many days?"

"At least two."

Chu Qiao's friends gave a couple of tired chuckles, and she was glad to realize that the wine had done its work well. They'd talked about strategy and planning, but in the end had decided that their immediate situation was likely too grim to offer them much in the way of options. All of them knew that there was already a large number of troops outside and that more would likely be coming in the light of day.

"We should probably get some rest," Zhong Yu said to Mister Wu, gesturing towards the sleeping area.

"Right," Chu Qiao was quick to agree. "Yuwen Yue and I can stand guard near the door so that you can have that area all to yourselves."

They all pushed back their chairs, being careful to not break them as they did so. Not that they cared about the chairs themselves, but going into battle already injured could turn out to be the kiss of death.

 _How did you break your sword arm, Chu Da Ren?_ she could envision He Xiao earnestly asking her. _Oh, I tripped over a broken-down chair in our cave hideout, He Xiao._

The corners of her mouth twitched as she imagined the scene. Unfortunately, another scene was unfolding on the other side of the cave where her friends were preparing for bed. Given the nature of their abrupt awakening and the lack of time to clean up after their sparring, all of the bedding was strewn around the sleeping area.

Zhong Yu's eyebrows had climbed all the way up her forehead and she was looking at Chu Qiao and Yuwen Yue in puzzlement. Yuwen Yue looked away in discomfort and began examining the walls of their cave as if the secrets of the world were written on them. Chu Qiao smiled wistfully at Yuwen Yue, remembering another cave wall that had gotten a similarly intense level of study in what sometimes felt like another lifetime.

As if sensing her scrutiny, he turned his head and looked at her, causing her eyes to widen and her breath to shorten. How long they stared at each other, she didn't know, but when the sound of the cave's two other occupants getting into bed reached her ears, she finally managed to look away from Yuwen Yue. Zhong Yu was still studying them with a suspicious expression; Chu Qiao pretended not to notice.

At last, all was quiet inside the cave as its occupants settled down either for rest or for guarding. Chu Qiao didn't dare look at Yuwen Yue, not wanting to end up falling into his eyes again.

 _Or are you not looking at him because you know that you actually_ do _want to fall into his eyes again?_

As before, she almost wished that an enemy would make its way down their little corridor and through the cave's entrance so that she could have something to distract her from the inevitable. This time, however, she wasn't fearing a fight with Yuwen Yue but rather with her own feelings. How had she entered this cave mere hours ago with the resolution to never trust Yuwen Yue again but was now standing guard at its entrance at his side after having recently told him that he'd never again be her enemy?

Chu Qiao knew that she likely had at least a couple of hours to stand here and do nothing but think about the future. She was not introspective by nature, yet what choice did she really have? Her only other options all centered around the amount of enemy troops surrounding them versus the amount of men they had on hand with which to defend Xiuli Mountain.

 _Or you could look at Yuwen Yue again; maybe he's looking at you and…_

She shushed that insidious part of her mind that she'd already allowed to have way too much influence tonight. Not that she could feel any regret over the progress that she and Yuwen Yue had made. If nothing else came of this new path she'd vowed to walk, at least she and Yuwen Yue had cleared up most of the misunderstandings between them.

The problem, however, was that without their misunderstandings, without their status as enemies, and without their necessary separation due to responsibilities, many of her reasons for maintaining distance between herself and Yuwen Yue dissipated like the smoke of their cookfire as it went up the natural chimney in the rock. At this point, all she had to fall back on was her assertion that since she didn't know what love was, she had no way of knowing whether or not she was in love with Yuwen Yue.

 _Ignorance is often used as an excuse for many things. I didn't know who Yan Xun was or what he was capable of, but my lack of knowledge didn't save me from being hurt by him—and from indirectly participating in the deaths of innocents. Can I truly use my own ignorance of love as proof that I don't love someone?_

She risked glancing at Yuwen Yue, almost expecting to find him watching her with that unreadable—or sometimes all-too-readable—expression on his face. He was, however, lost in his own thoughts; whether they were about her, their predicament, or the unknown fate of their mutual friends, she couldn't tell.

Not that her own feelings were any less confusing. She could assert all she wanted that she didn't know what love was, but she knew that what she felt for Yuwen Yue was unlike anything that she'd ever felt for anyone—including Yan Xun. Chu Qiao might not have known anything about love, but she did know that she needed Yuwen Yue in her life, that the thought of a future without him was incomprehensible, and that she was willing to do whatever was necessary to keep him safe—and by her side.

She could no longer deny the truth that she was physically attracted to him, not after their almost-kiss. Not that she hadn't been drawn to him in some capacity since the early days of their relationship; every time he'd stared into her eyes, she'd felt a connection with him as she'd stared back, wide-eyed. Even when he'd faced her over her knife after she'd set that trap for him, she'd felt that pull, that force that had stilled her hand, made her question her anger and rage, and prevented her from taking vengeance for Linxi and everyone else she'd thought Yuwen Yue had wronged.

Chu Qiao's expression grew melancholy as she remembered her sweet, caring brother. While he hadn't been her sibling by blood—and had always believed her to be only a half-sibling-he had always treated her like one of his own. She'd believed herself to have avenged Linxi by indirectly causing the death of Jin Zhu, the one who had given Linxi the poisoned box; the other guilty parties in his death she'd believed to be Yuwen Xi and Yuwen Huai. Yuwen Yue had been the means of Linxi's death, but from the moment she'd figured out the purpose of the flesh-gloves, she'd realized that her brother had been doomed the moment he'd touched that box with his bare hands.

Discovering the truth about Yuwen Zhuo's faked death had upended her reality, however, and had made her question everything she'd ever believed about Yuwen Yue—especially his feelings for her. She realized with a start that she'd somehow come full-circle in her thoughts even while she'd been thinking about her adoptive brother. Chu Qiao hadn't brought Linxi up except in passing during her earlier conversation with Yuwen Yue because she'd believed the matter to be resolved between them due to his thorough explanation of the events leading up to his death. At this point, she had no reason to disbelieve him, so why bother talking about it anymore?

 _Be honest with yourself, Chu Qiao. Even on top of that tower that night, Linxi was just an excuse. You knew full well the facts of his death hadn't changed. The box had still been poisoned. Jin Zhu had still been the one who'd given him the box. Yuwen Xi and/or Yuwen Huai had still been the ones you'd suspected of having given her the box to give to Linxi. In fact, when you killed Yuwen Xi, you specifically blamed him for Linxi's death in your mind. While you had every right to wonder why Yuwen Zhuo had survived while Linxi had died, that wasn't the main reason you lashed out so viciously at Yuwen Yue, was it?_

Chu Qiao almost wanted to go back to pondering her current feelings for Yuwen Yue, but her persistent mind had gotten hold of these memories that she'd thought she'd buried so long ago and wouldn't let them go.

 _You can't escape the truth, Chu Qiao. Not now. You know exactly why you were so hurt and angry up there on Hong Shan Yuan tower, and it didn't have any more to do with Linxi than your anger earlier tonight truly had to do with Yan Xun. In fact, you lashed out at Yuwen Yue tonight for the same basic reason that you did that night: Because you thought you'd understood his feelings for you and he'd then seemed to prove you wrong—and that broke your heart._

She did her best to ignore the cruel incisiveness of her own mind, but she wasn't any more capable of breaking away from these thoughts than Yuwen Yue had been up to the task of breaking free of his nightmare a few hours ago. Idly she wondered if their fight and reconciliation had triggered his bad dream, perhaps even sending him back to that tower himself in his mind. He had, after all, seemed to believe he'd been fighting her for his life.

 _Not that that necessarily narrows the incident down…_

Chu Qiao lowered her head in shame as she remembered all of the times she'd threatened his life. At this point, she couldn't imagine doing anything less than her best to keep him safe, much less actually trying to harm him.

 _Of course I can't hurt him. I need him._

She felt the truth of the statement in her bones, being able to firmly grasp the concept of need so much more easily than that of love. Need was basic, intrinsic, sensible. Need was essential, necessary, and indispensable. Need was survival. Chu Qiao _needed_ to protect the people for whom she was responsible. She _needed_ to escape from destructive people who meant her harm. She _needed_ to do whatever was necessary to ensure her continued survival—and, most importantly, the survival of her people.

 _So is Yuwen Yue one of your people, Chu Qiao? t_ hat insidious little voice that had eviscerated her barriers so effectively tonight whispered in her ear.

 _Of course he is,_ the other part of her retorted. _What of it?_

 _Why is it so easy for you to admit that Yuwen Yue is one of the people that you need but impossible for you admit that he's the man you love?_

As before, Chu Qiao's dominant frames of mind locked out that insidious, whispery voice that liked to cause such chaos in her mind and heart. She simply could not afford to think in such terms—especially not with a large battle likely looming in her—in their—future. While she'd succeeded in shutting that voice out, she hadn't succeeded in banishing its question from her mind.

 _Because if I label Yuwen Yue as someone I love, then he becomes expendable,_ Chu Qiao couldn't resist replying to that voice. _Love is an emotion, a luxury. I can't afford to allow love to influence my decision-making one way or another because it can make a person act foolish and irrational. Need, on the other hand, is vital. If you need something, well, then you need it. Simple as that. So if I need Yuwen Yue, then what can I do but work hard to keep him beside me—to stay beside him? But if I merely love him, then I'll have no choice but to choose necessity and the survival of my people over my own happiness, just like I did at Xiao Ce's palace._

Chu Qiao's eyes widened in the dimness as she realized what she'd just admitted to herself. Just as her mind had done before she'd officially decided to leave Yan Xun during the bout of introspection that had sparked this whole mess, one part of it had jumped ahead of the others and exposed the truth. Her mind could be such a confusing place, but all parts of it seemed to be in accord in terms of the necessity of Yuwen Yue to her life. The thought of leaving him—of losing him-at this point…

She didn't become aware of the tears slowly seeping down her cheeks until she felt the soft, gentle rasp of a familiar piece of cloth. Chu Qiao looked up at Yuwen Yue as he wiped away her tears with their handkerchief, questioning the reason for them with his eyes. She dropped her own, her initial instinct being, as always, concealment—especially in regards to Yuwen Yue. He made no motion to force her to look up at him, waiting as he always had for her to be ready on her own.

Once again, she forced her shields down and lifted her eyes to Yuwen Yue; once again, she was unsure of what he'd be able to see in them in the dim lamp light of the cave. She realized that this lowering of her emotional barriers was something that she needed to get used to doing as she was unlikely to get better at communicating her feelings to Yuwen Yue any time soon. As he looked deeply into her eyes, his own widened in amazement and filled with something else that Chu Qiao didn't understand.

Whatever he'd seen caused him to pull her close to him once again, but not in the desperate vise of need that he'd demonstrated during their confessions. This hold was looser and lighter but no less possessive. She rested her head against one of his shoulders; he rested his head against hers. Yuwen Yue showed no inclination towards letting her go, and she couldn't find anything within herself to complain.

 _If these are some of the last few moments of peace I have in this world, then there's no other way I'd rather spend them._

No other parts of Chu Qiao's mind put up an argument.

* * *

He Xiao marveled at the ingenious nature of the entrance to the cave that had apparently been here for years without his knowledge. He felt a pang of sadness as he remembered how the remaining survivors of that group of female fighters had all given their lives at the battle for Hongchuan.

 _At least they got to die as warriors, fighting for what they believed in. There are worse ways to die-and, to be honest, I've always assumed that that's how I would die, too._

The light of dawn barely penetrated the corridor as he slowly crept along it, not wanting to receive a surprise sword or bolt to the face due to a misunderstanding from those who were hopefully concealed inside. A flash of brown that wasn't rock caught his eye, and he smiled in relief at the sight of the wooden screen that Chu Da Ren had shown him when he'd visited the cave the other day.

He gave all of the right passwords and received their responses in return, carefully wiping the grin off of his face that had formed at the revelation that Yuwen Yue was also within the cave. He Xiao hoped with all his heart that Chu Da Ren had made the most of any time alone she might've had with Young Master Yue—especially given the news that he had to tell them.

The cave was cramped with all of them in there, but they handled the situation gracefully, even to the degree of offering He Xiao some warm food and drink. He accepted since he knew that he was not going to get anything better up on Xiuli Mountain.

 _Or ever again, if the heavens are not on our side today._

He Xiao set aside such pessimistic thoughts for a few moments more as he watched the way that his general interacted with the young master. Gone were much of the tension and weariness that had been hallmarks of many of their previous interactions; they had been replaced with a tension of a different sort, which made He Xiao smile into his teacup. If nothing else came of this unpleasant situation, maybe his general could finally find a bit of happiness to offset some of the heartbreak she'd experienced in life.

 _If any of us survive the day..._

"I take it you're not just here to sample Xing'er's excellent Yanbei clay pot mint tea," Yuwen Yue said to He Xiao.

"I assure you that the tea is much better than anything you could find on Xiuli Mountain, Young Master Yue," he said, dipping his head at his general, "but my news is anything but good."

"We expected as much," Zhong Yu said. "Mister Wu and I almost got caught several times getting here several hours ago, and I can't imagine that the number of troops outside has lessened in that span of time."

"You should've just kept riding the other way," Chu Da Ren muttered.

"Just like you would've, A'Chu?" Zhong Yu said.

Even Young Master Yue's lips twitched in acknowledgment of Chu Da Ren's protective nature.

"There are already enough Yanbei soldiers outside to keep us bottled up here and to make an escape attempt suicidal," He Xiao said, "but we believe that we'll be able to hold both mountain passes for a decent length of time. We knew what that whistling arrow meant, so we've been working hard to fortify the mountain ever since."

"I'm sorry, He Xiao," Chu Da Ren said sadly. "When I first came up with this part of the plan, I'd hoped that all of you would survive and would finally get to live the peaceful lives you'd always wanted. But now..."

"Now we'll stand and fight like we've always done," He Xiao said, unwilling to let his general feel guilty about what he'd long seen as the inevitable. "This situation is not your fault, Chu Da Ren. Truth be told, the bad choices of many people have led us here, but, as with our need to defend Hongchuan, much of the blame must be laid at the feet of our current leadership."

Awkwardness greeted his words, and he wondered what he'd said wrong. A possibility occurred to him as he replayed his words in his mind.

"Is that what happened to the plan?" he asked, eyes widening. "Did someone go after Yan Xun and succeed? Was it you, Young Master Yue? If it was, then you have the thanks of me and my men."

He Xiao clasped his sword in his hands and bowed in the young master's direction.

"Actually, I did try to remove Yan Xun from power, but Princess Chun'er had already gotten there first," Yuwen Yue said into the uncomfortable silence.

"So that explains the large amount of troops," He Xiao mused. "We knew that Cheng Yuan's Black Eagles would come after us for sure, but the others...I'm assuming that you also didn't manage to kill all of the officers you'd wanted to and had to leave early."

Chu Da Ren and Miss Yu scowled, giving him his answer.

"That complicates things, but I can't say I'm sorry about Yan Xun's death. I know that all of you were close to him to some degree, but my interactions with him were largely negative. He lied to us. He betrayed us. He murdered us. We were the main reason he escaped from Chang'an in the first place, but he was never willing to forgive us for our sins even after he'd gone on to commit worse ones. No, I won't miss him, and I'll enjoy telling my men that the deaths of their brothers were fully avenged last night."

He Xiao took advantage of the silence around him, eating a few more bites of food before continuing his report.

"At any rate, we're about as ready as we can be, and we do not fear death. We figure from the current state of their makeshift camp that the enemy will likely attack sometime mid-morning; they don't seem to be in a hurry to fight, so they're either waiting for a specific time, a specific set of orders, or a larger attack force."

"Well, then I guess we'd best get going," Mister Wu said, moving towards a dark corner of the cave. "I'll change into my battle robes first so that I'll be able to go up with you to help with strategy."

"We don't expect anyone here to help us," He Xiao said, figuring he'd give these people one last chance to survive. "We know that we're too large a force to escape, but one of you—or all of you going in different directions—might be able to reach safety. You could still make peace for Yanbei, still win the war if not this battle."

"Do you really expect me to run away like a coward and leave you all to die?" Chu Qiao asked, her eyes blazing in a somewhat terrifying manner.

"Not really, Chu Da Ren," He Xiao said in resignation. "I figured I'd try to persuade you one last time, though—or at least get the rest of your people to reconsider leaving even if you wouldn't."

"Not a chance," Zhong Yu said, determination in her gaze. "Mister Wu has already committed to help you with directing the battle—and fighting, of course, if and when it comes to that."

"And you?" He Xiao asked with a small, pained smile.

"And I, of course, will be standing guard while he does so," Zhong Yu said matter-of-factly.

He Xiao sighed, knowing that he had one last chance to get someone out of here but that his odds of success were slim.

"What about you, Young Master Yue? You could escape from here; I know you could. You could rejoin your people, protect Prince Yuan Song from danger, and maybe even make peace with Wei somehow. Why should you die here today with the rest of us?"

"Because this is where all of the conflict is happening," Young Master Yue said as placidly as if he were discussing the weather. "All of Yanbei—and some of us from Wei, apparently—is converging on Xiuli Mountain, and the battle here will likely shape the future of both kingdoms in some capacity. Besides, I have no way of knowing if my people are even where they're supposed to be considering that they were ambushed early yesterday morning and had to escape."

"That explains why we had to kill the spies ourselves," He Xiao muttered.

"Sorry for the inconvenience."

"Not at all, Young Master Yue," He Xiao said, smiling fiercely. "None of my men found the task a hardship, I can assure you."

"Glad to hear it."

"So you won't go? I didn't think you would; you have too much at stake here—professionally and personally."

"As you say," Yuwen Yue said, inclining his head.

He Xiao saw Chu Da Ren draw a breath as if to protest, but her eyes met the young master's and whatever she saw there stopped her from speaking for a moment. They looked into each other's eyes as they so often did, two strong wills facing off against one another.

"Out of all of us, you should live, Yuwen Yue," Chu Da Ren finally said softly. "This isn't your fight, not really."

"Isn't it, Xing'er?" he asked. "This was my plan as much as yours. These troops are here in large part because people saw you rescue me. I chose to involve myself in this plan when I snuck inside Yan Xun's palace, so what kind of ally would I be if I ran right before battle?"

"One who gets to live," Chu Da Ren said stubbornly.

"Sorry, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said softly, "Either both of us fight or both of us flee."

While He Xiao felt sadness at the obvious distress that his general felt over the possibility of the young master's death, her concern for Yuwen Yue's well-being and the young master's unwillingness to leave her warmed his heart.

 _I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that they both survive this day,_ He Xiao vowed to himself.

"We don't have much time, so we need to get into position now. I need to take Mister Wu up first so that he can get settled into the command position up on one of the protected ridges and direct our troops in battle."

Mister Wu came forward, having already changed into a pair of simple white robes that He Xiao figured he'd left in the cave ahead of time. He and Zhong Yu had set up the wooden screen in a corner of the cave and were using it for its original purpose since they no longer had to worry about any leaking light giving the location of the cave away. Zhong Yu was currently behind the divider herself, the hurried sounds of changing clothes indicating her desire to accompany the man she loved up the mountain.

"I figured that I would end up in this position if the plan went wrong, so I decided that white robes would make the most sense for staying hidden against the snow and ice," Mister Wu said calmly.

Zhong Yu emerged from behind the screen dressed in the blue robes with black leather shoulder guards she'd been wearing since she'd come to Yanbei.

"This outfit suits my style of fighting and is something I'm used to," she said. "It's as good of an outfit to make a last stand in as any."

"On that cheerful note, I'll go ahead and escort Mister Wu and Miss Yu up the mountain first—if they're ready, of course," He Xiao said.

"Actually, He Xiao, we still have to pack up the rest of the supplies," Mister Wu said, busying himself with the process of gathering the odds and ends that they hadn't used during the night.

"Good," Chu Da Ren said. "He Xiao, I have something I want to give you before you leave since I figure I won't have time to do it once we get up on the mountain."

He Xiao had been expecting to be scolded for his attempts at giving his general some final time alone with Young Master Yue, so he couldn't stop his eyes from widening in surprise at her lack of irritation. Chu Da Ren walked over to the area of the cave where she'd stored her own armor and withdrew something long and dark from within it.

"Is that what you're going to wear today?" He Xiao blurted, both surprised and touched.

"Of course it is, He Xiao," Chu Da Ren said. "What else would you expect me to make a last stand in? You and the men designed and made this outfit because it complements both my fighting style and your own uniforms. The colors are similar, and the leather chest and shoulder guard even somewhat look like Xiuli armor—not to mention the bracers."

"I thought the large beads holding the shoulder guard together were a nice touch, Chu Da Ren," He Xiao said huskily, fighting back his emotions.

"So did I," Chu Da Ren said, giving him a small smile. "There's nothing else I'd even consider wearing today—but I didn't call you over here to show you my armor choices."

She placed the long, dark object in both of her hands and held it out to him. He Xiao gasped in recognition and even a little horror at the long knife that Chu Da Ren was giving him.

"I took this from Cheng Yuan's bedside after I gained vengeance on behalf of you and your men," Chu Da Ren said, her face hardening. "I want you to have it so that you can wield it against the other enemies we'll face today."

As if in a trance, He Xiao reached out and grasped the black scabbard that contained the blade that he knew was likely stained with the blood of untold hundreds of thousands of men. He slowly drew the long knife from its scabbard and examined the dully-gleaming blade that seemed to emanate menace and malice. Could he truly wield such a weapon, even at the request of his beloved general?

"Chu Da Ren, you honor me greatly," He Xiao said nervously. "But this weapon has a bad reputation amongst our people. There's a legend attached to it, you see, that General Bai Qi himself commissioned this weapon to be made with a demon trapped inside that demanded the constant shedding of fresh blood in order to be satisfied. He named it "Dragon Bird," and bloodthirsty men have used it ever since to commit atrocities, seize power, and kill the innocent. Can I truly carry such a blade into battle?"

He Xiao hadn't known what to expect after speaking his reservations aloud, but the gentle, knowing smile Chu Da Ren gave him surprised him.

"He Xiao, the thing I've learned about weapon legends is that they often are what their wielders make of them. A sword or knife can have a good or bad story attached to it, but at the end of the day, the only person who can decide whether to use the weapon for good or evil is the wielder. That knife can no more make you evil than my sword can make me good."

"So your sword has a legend, too, then?" He Xiao asked, feigning innocence.

While he didn't know all of the details of the excellent sword Chu Da Ren carried, he was, after all, a warrior and the son of a man who had been both a blacksmith and a weaponsmaker. He could clearly see the similarities in design between the two swords that were currently propped up together against the main table. They looked perfect together and had clearly been commissioned as a pair—one of which had been designed for a woman, as you could tell by the slimmer handle and slightly shorter blade.

"Not necessarily," Chu Da ren said, scowling. "Maybe it does; maybe it doesn't. But I have had people identify me as a spy of the Eyes of God because of it, and some have recognized it as being similar to the sword that Young Master Yue carries. These people have made...assumptions, even if the assumptions weren't true."

"What kind of assumptions?" He Xiao asked, doing his best to maintain his open, curious expression.

"Oh, nothing much," Chu Da Ren said, and, to his astonishment, mildly blushed.

 _I've seen this woman bring down skilled warriors several times her size. She's taken on entire armies. She's killed untold numbers of men. Yet here she is, unable to articulate the obvious._

His heart swelled with compassion for his young general, this woman who had so much to live for yet who was willing to sacrifice it all to stand with him—with her men—instead.

"Did they assume that you were his protege? Because that seems pretty accurate to me."

"Yes, that was it," Chu Da Ren agreed quickly. "That and...it's not important. What's important is that these people merely saying that those things were true didn't make them true, and neither did any legend or story. I decided whether they were true or not, and nothing else."

"I see. I thank you for this weapon, Chu Da Ren, and will wield it with honor and courage in your service. I won't let you down."

He Xiao clasped the knife by its scabbard and bowed, honoring this woman who was the only one who had ever given him and his men a chance to redeem themselves after their mistake of several years ago. His eyes strayed to the young master seated at the table who was trying hard not to be obvious about listening in on their conversation.

 _He could've killed us when we fell into Cheng Yuan's trap, but he didn't. I owe him, too._

Making as if to leave, He Xiao suddenly turned back around as if he had only just remembered something.

"Oh, Chu Da Ren, I just thought of another question."

"Yes?" she asked, clearly distracted by the process of taking her combat robes off of their stand in the corner of the cave.

"Those assumptions that people made—you talked as if they'd happened long ago and that at the time you hadn't wanted them to be true. If someone were to make such assumptions now, would you want them to be true or not?"

He Xiao held his breath as he awaited his general's response, hoping he hadn't pushed her too far. The look on her face was heartbreaking, and he almost regretted his words as he witnessed the war taking place inside of her. Sometimes—like now—her eyes were like an open book, but at other times, he couldn't see past the surface. He could tell that she'd been wrestling with her feelings for the young master for a long time and that she'd finally realized some truths about them.

 _Come on, Chu Da Ren. Show me that courage I've seen you demonstrate so many times. Have the strength to be honest with battle so near—especially since you might never get another chance._

"Does it really matter?" Chu Da Ren asked in resignation. "We're about to go into battle with the odds stacked heavily against us and there's a decent chance that none of us will survive to see another dawn. Why make any sort of proclamations that will just haunt someone if one lives but the other dies? Wouldn't that be crueler in the end?"

"I think it can matter a great deal—especially if that certain someone would rather live with the knowledge of the truth instead of having it die with the other forever."

He Xiao could see Chu Da Ren's neck muscles clench, and he knew he'd caused her throat to tighten up. He figured he'd made his point, so he bowed once more and made his way to the cave's entrance where Wu Daoya and Zhong Yu were waiting for him.

"He Xiao," Chu Da Ren's voice carried firmly across the cave.

He turned back around to face her, his eyebrows raised in question.

"Yes," she said, her eyes boring into his. "Yes, I'd want their assumptions to be true."

He Xiao gave one of his biggest, fiercest grins as he retired from the field in victory, leaving his general and the young master behind for as much time alone together as he'd be able to give them. The other two had even removed Chu Da Ren's horse from the makeshift stable, taking advantage of its ability to carry some of their supplies. He was glad his general wouldn't be able to use the horse as a distraction and would have to give Young Master Yue her full attention.

 _Good luck, Chu Da Ren,_ he thought as he led Mister Wu and Miss Yu out of the cave and into the corridor beyond.

* * *

As Yue Qi slit the throat of another guard on the wall, he began to think that their plan might actually work. They'd been ambushed by a group of soldiers while they'd been making their way towards where Xia Chong's contacts had been hiding out near the city, but they'd been able to easily defeat the troops and then disguise themselves as soldiers with the uniforms they'd stripped from the dead. One of the officers had even had a dashing cape on his back, so Yuan Song had a convincing cover for his right side.

He picked up the bow that the guard had dropped and pretended to patrol the wall, marveling at how little attention anyone on the city streets below was paying to him and his men. Yue Qi could see other Yue guards and Afterlife Camp assassins already in position, pretending to guard the soldiers and civilians below just as he was. Slowly he crept closer to the top of the sealed gate where his final target was standing guard.

They'd been fortunate in many ways, Yue Qi admitted to himself, knowing that they never could've come this far without Xia Chong's spy network and Meng Feng's knowledge of the secret way in and out of the city that they'd used to sneak in. Both former Afterlife Camp assassins had been invaluable to the mission, but they were currently waiting with Yuan Song in a remote area near the secret path so that they'd be ready to carry out the next phase of the plan.

Yue Qi had no idea how the guard heard him approach; he was sure that he'd made no sound as he'd rested his bow against a portion of the ramparts and pulled his knife from its sheath. His body instinctively reacted the way it had been trained to do, however, and he was able to subdue the guard who'd put up a surprisingly good fight. A few soldiers had taken notice of their conflict but had made no move to intervene; Yue Qi couldn't blame them given the circumstances. He moved in for the kill, knowing that this one man was all that stood between his little group and the successful liberation of the soldiers who had rebelled against the current leadership of Yanbei.

"Wait," the soldier begged. "I know who you are. I can help you. I'm on your side."

Yue Qui paused, figuring that the soldier was lying but deciding to at least hear him out just in case he was telling the truth.

"We're all on your side," he continued, babbling. "Many of us hated Yan Xun and have no sympathy for those in charge now, but we were too cowardly to do anything at the time. I can help you, though. I can open these gates; I know how to work them. Just let me live."

While Yue Qi assumed that figuring out how to open the gates couldn't be too difficult, he also realized that their time was short and that they needed to accomplish their mission as quickly as possible. Killing this man wouldn't bother him, but he'd always done his best to avoid bloodshed whenever he could.

"Alright," he murmured, "but if you try anything, I'll kill you before you'll be able to do anything else."

"Okay. Thank you. Okay. It's real easy, see? But your people—you do have people, right? They'll have to cut the ropes away from the gates first, you see?"

Yue Qi made eye contact with the other members of his team, all of whom had been watching their confrontation anxiously. He nodded once, and the man nearest the set of stairs close to the secret exit nonchalantly strolled down the steps and out of sight. That Yue guard had gone to signal that the next part of the plan was ready to be put into action and that Yuan Song and Meng Feng needed to get in position.

His blade pressed near the small of the guard's back where nobody below could see it, Yue Qi pretended to engage the man in friendly conversation. The soldiers below continued to watch with interest; the fact that nobody else on the ramparts was reacting to the gathered troops seemed to indicate to Yue Qi that they'd killed all of the archers along the wall. Yue Qi felt a moment of pride, glad that they'd been able to put the master's training to use in a way that would hopefully help him.

Three Yanbei soldiers mounted on horseback—including an officer with a particularly stylish burgundy cape draped across his right side—slowly trotted up to the gates. The two ordinary soldiers unsheathed their swords and hacked at the thick ropes that were currently keeping the city locked up tight. As the ropes slid away, the two soldiers were able to remove the wooden frame that had been used as a tie-off for the ropes.

At last, the gate was clear, and Yue Qi glared at the guard he was holding hostage. The man kept his word, though, and slowly opened the gate for those outside. As the gates groaned open, the early-morning sun back-lit the three figures as they rode into the city. Word had obviously spread of Yue Qi's fight with the guard and the opening of the doors as what looked like most of the soldiers who had been imprisoned in the city poured into the large open space near the gate.

"Men of Yanbei!" Yuan Song said in a loud, commanding voice while removing his Yanbei headgear. "For those of you who don't know me, I'm Prince Yuan Song."

A variety of reactions greeted this pronouncement, some of them positive and some of them negative. Most of the soldiers, however, seemed more interested than upset, so Yue Qi figured that he and his men wouldn't have to start using their stolen bows yet.

"I know that you have no reason to trust me; in fact, I'm a little surprised that nobody here's tried to kill me yet. My country—my family—has done terrible things to Yanbei, things for which we can never atone. While I did everything I could to stop the heinous crimes that were committed that day, I was powerless to prevent them from happening. I know what it feels like to be helpless, to know that your fate lies in the hands of those more powerful than you—those you'd once trusted to make good, upright decisions and to rule with wisdom and integrity. I can't change any of those events of several years ago, but I intend to do my best to prevent such things from happening again."

"And how are you going to do that?" a tall, broad-shouldered man dressed in heavy armor asked, brazenly approaching the prince without a trace of fear or respect. "I grew up here in Yanbei. My family is influential and prosperous. This is my home. If I couldn't stop you people from slaughtering tens of thousands of innocents, then why should I trust that you can—or will?"

Yue Qi's hands tightened on the arrow he knew he could draw back and loose in an instant. He was immensely proud of the prince, but he knew that one wrong word could end their mission all too quickly.

"You shouldn't trust me," Yuan Song said matter-of-factly. "In fact, you probably should just go ahead and kill me now and get it over with. Spill some Yuan blood. Get your vengeance. And then my brother will come here, kill you all, and burn this place to the ground. Then anyone who's left may decide to try to invade Wei and kill even more people. Then we won't have to worry about peace because we'll all be dead."

At first, Yue Qi thought that the prince had gone mad, but then he began to understand the method behind the madness. He knew that the tactic could backfire, but it could also lead to a fast resolution of the conflict.

"Or you could ride with me to Xiuli Mountain and gain the chance to direct the future of Yanbei yourselves," Yuan Song said into the stunned silence. "You can stand up to the people who sentenced you to death, who discarded you like you were trash the moment you didn't do what they wanted you to do. I know what that feels like, too. I was sent here by my father because I was a disgrace to him due to this."

Yuan Song used his left hand to deftly pull back the cape over his right, exposing the empty space.

"I lost my arm because I wanted vengeance on Yan Xun. He hurt me and my family, and I wanted him to pay. So I snuck into his camp in disguise and attacked him the first chance I got. I stabbed him in the gut; he cut off my sword arm. In the end, though, he showed mercy by not killing me as he would've had every right to do. Instead of giving up, I adapted. I learned to do things left-handed—even fight."

The prince deftly pulled a blade from a scabbard that had been secured at the side of his horse. He twirled its handle a few times in his hand, giving the impression of competence and capability. Yue Qi knew that Yuan Song was not just showing off. All of them had taken turns training the young prince in combat techniques, working hard to get him decently competent with fighting one-handed using a variety of weapons. While Yuan Song would likely never be a great fighter, he was by no means a weakling, either.

"You've been cut off, cast off, viewed as a disgrace. You've been locked up here, sentenced to die for committing the crime of wanting what was best for your homeland. You desire both peace and revenge, knowing you can't have both. Honestly, I can't promise you either. If you ride to Xiuli Mountain, you'll be fighting primarily against your own countrymen and thus, to some degree, serving the interests of Wei. As for vengeance...well, I guess you can get revenge on those who sentenced you to death—but you'll have to get it once again at the expense of Yanbei itself. If you ride with me, however, I can promise that I'll do my best to make peace with Wei on your behalf once the battle is done and to end this seemingly endless cycle of vengeance."

"Why should we ride with you?" the main general asked. "What's stopping us from killing you, riding to Xiuli Mountain on our own, and killing everyone who sentenced us to death?"

Yuan Song's face broke out into one of those boyish grins that made the years disappear from his countenance.

"Actually, that would be just fine—except for the 'killing me' part, of course. I don't really care if you ride under my command or not. All I care about is that a strong fighting force shows up at the base of Xiuli Mountain to fight the much larger force that will already be attacking my friends."

"Your friends? Are you really trying to convince me that you're not making a power play right now?" the general asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Actually, I don't really care about power or Wei or anything like that at the moment," the prince said candidly. "The main reason I'm going to Xiuli Mountain is because my friends are in danger and I want to do everything I can to help them. Sending a large fighting force that way would definitely qualify, so feel free to leave first."

"Who are your friends?" another man called out, walking forward. His armor wasn't as ornate as the other man's, but it was clearly that of a higher-ranking officer.

"Yuwen Yue has been my friend from boyhood. I know that that won't likely win me any points here, but that's the honest truth. He's a good man, probably the best man I've ever known. And Chu Qiao...I've known her since she was just a slave on Yuwen Yue's estate. We've had our moments, she and I, but I know that she has a core of integrity that will make her do what she feels is right even if it leads to her death. All of us here value them both in one way or another; our main concern is helping our people, not gaining power."

"We're in," a low-ranking officer said, stepping forward. "Me and my men, we broke away from our division because we wouldn't raise a hand against the woman who saved our families from the Wei army. We have nothing to lose, and we want to repay Chu Da Ren for the lives of our loved ones. We'll ride with you."

"So will we," a leader of a similar-looking band of men said, stepping forward.

Support from other such independent groups rang out; even some of the townspeople who had helped Xing'er defend the city were willing to go to Xiuli Mountain and fight. The rest of the soldiers that presumably belonged to the two high-ranking officers also voiced their support. The officers looked at each other in question. The one in charge sighed in resignation.

"I suppose our brave men have made the decision for us, Prince. Very well; we'll ride with you to Xiuli Mountain and let the heavens determine the outcome."

The prince smiled boyishly again.

"Great! Let's go! If we want to get there in time, we need to leave right away."

A roar met his pronouncement as hundreds of men surged into action at once, most of them moving towards the open gates. From his position atop the ramparts, Yue Qi could see townsmen dressed in old armor and carrying well-used swords returning to the throng of men surging out of the city. Yuan Song, Meng Feng, and Xia Chong rode out ahead of all of them, and Yue Qi sighed in relief as he realized that their cobbled-together plan was actually going to succeed.

He handed the guard whose life he'd spared over to the local jailer, making him promise to not mistreat the prisoner. After all, the man had kept his end of the bargain, so Yue Qi wanted to honor his promise to spare his life.

 _Hold on, Young Master Yue and Xing'er,_ Yue Qi thought as he and his men ran back through the secret exit to collect the horses they'd left nearby. _We're coming—and we're bringing some new friends with us._

* * *

Chu Qiao emerged from behind the wooden screen, straightening her armor one last time. Her black robes she'd left in a puddle behind the partition, figuring that she likely wouldn't need them again. Yuwen Yue was standing at the entrance to the cave, wearing the only set of black robes he had and staring pensively at the matched swords he held in his hands. She knew that he was thinking of the confession she'd made about wanting people's assumptions of the meaning behind her carrying Can Hong Jian to be true.

While Chu Qiao had berated herself multiple times for being foolish enough to voice her feelings so clearly (for her, at least), she couldn't bring herself to regret doing so. She knew that her desires to protect her feelings and to not contemplate a future that likely didn't exist were not ones that Yuwen Yue shared; the least she could do was to let the man she loved know how much her feelings for him had changed.

 _Or been made clear to you…_

She approached Yuwen Yue slowly, standing at his side and looking out at the short corridor that they would soon be walking in order to reach the back pass into Xiuli Mountain. Chu Qiao expected Yuwen Yue to say something, but he maintained his silence, seeming as if he were far away from the cave—and her.

"I never told you the story and legend surrounding our swords, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said softly into the brightening light of morning. "My grandfather's right hand, Zhan Mou, told it to me multiple times when I was a boy—back when I thought that my family's history was something to be proud of and that marriage for love was an everyday occurrence in our circles. He wanted me to understand the story behind both the sword I would someday inherit myself and its mate. Eventually my grandfather found out and made him stop; he didn't want my head being filled with such 'romantic nonsense,' as he put it."

"Oh," Chu Qiao said, wanting to encourage him to tell her more but not knowing what else to say.

Yuwen Yue's eyes gentled; she knew he understood the difficulty she had with expressing her feelings verbally.

"Grandfather told me that one of our distant ancestors had two swords commissioned: One for himself, which was Po Yue Jian, and one for his betrothed, which was Can Hong Jian."

Chu Qiao's breath caught in her throat at the reference to betrothal; Yuwen Yue surely heard her but didn't react outwardly.

"He gave Can Hong Jian to his beloved, and she became as proficient with it as he knew she would be. They practiced together every day, honing their abilities until they could fight as a single unit. None could stand against their combined power—until they ended up on a battlefield against a significantly larger force."

Yuwen Yue paused, obviously struggling with what he was going to say next.

"They went into battle together, fighting as they'd always been meant to fight. Individually, none could've taken either one down, but the battle was fierce, and the foes were many. Over the course of the fight, they became separated, drifting farther and farther apart until he finally saw her go down under an entire pile of the enemy."

Chu Qiao's eyes were wide, especially in reaction to the expression on Yuwen Yue's face. She could see the impact the story was having on him given their current situation. Thinking it best to bring the tale to its conclusion for the good of Yuwen Yue's emotional state, she asked the obvious question.

"Did she die?"

"No, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said softly, staring at her with that intense expression that never failed to draw her in. "She didn't die. He thought that his beloved was dead, however, so he fought like a man with nothing left to lose or to gain. He hoped that death would find him on the battlefield so that he could join his beloved in the afterlife, but the heavens seemed to play a joke on him, allowing him to live while so many others died. As he was stumbling around the piles of corpses in a daze after the battle was done, his eyes caught a flash of gold forged into a distinctive pattern."

"Can Hong Jian," Chu Qiao whispered in wonder.

"Yes, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said. "He saw the unmistakable form of his beloved's sword sticking out from under a pile of enemies, and he was glad that he'd at least be able to bring her corpse back with him for burial. He pulled her out from beneath the mound of dead, sat down on the muddy, bloody ground, and pulled her body into his lap, weeping bitterly. He placed a hand on the side of her face, caressing her mouth gently with his thumb. To his astonishment, he felt a slight puff of breath against it, and his beloved cracked open her blood-shot eyes and stared up at him in bewilderment. Gently lifting her up and carrying her off the battlefield, he took her to safety and nursed her back to health."

"So the story has a happy ending after all," Chu Qiao said, trying to keep her emotions in check.

"Of course it does," Yuwen Yue said. "I wouldn't tell you a sad story so close to battle; it wouldn't serve my purpose at all."

"And what is your purpose?" Chu Qiao asked.

"Simply to give you back your sword, of course," Yuwen Yue said, making no effort to do so.

"That's a relief," Chu Qiao said. "I'd hate to go into battle without it."

"The problem, Xing'er, is that since I've told you the story behind the swords, now I have to tell you the legend."

"Oh."

"You see, after that battle, my ancestor married his beloved, and they passed the swords down through the Yuwen line all the way to me. The legend became that lovers who wield Po Yue Jian and Can Hong Jian will always be able to find their way back together no matter what forces try to separate them."

Chu Qiao desperately wanted to be able to say anything, but her throat and mouth simply wouldn't work. Yuwen Yue waited patiently, giving her the time she needed to regain her composure.

"You told He Xiao that there's nothing in a sword that can make its wielder do anything he or she doesn't want to do. That in order for a weapon's legend to be true, you have to make it so yourself. When I go into battle with you, Xing'er, I'm going to do everything in my power to make that legend true for me—for us."

Chu Qiao somehow managed to find her voice just in time.

"So will I," she whispered, fire blazing in her eyes.

Yuwen Yue held Can Hong Jian out in his hand just as he'd done before, yet oh, so differently. His eyes were every bit as intense now as they'd been years ago, but they were filled with love and protectiveness now instead of the cool yet fierce aggressiveness he'd displayed then. He made no threats this time, but in his eyes she could see so many promises that she knew he'd never get the chance to keep.

She took the sword from him with both hands, doing her best to show him what was in her heart through her eyes while she still had the chance. While she didn't have a death wish, she knew that her odds of surviving the day were as low as they'd been when she'd fought for Hongchuan—perhaps even lower, since she didn't even have the benefit of well-made walls and ramparts to aid her. Yuwen Yue, however...She wouldn't let him die. Simple as that. Chu Qiao knew she'd take his sword's mate and fight as hard as she could with it, hoping that, even if she ended up dying, he could live.

Suddenly she felt a burning desire to give him something in return. She reached into a small pocket sewn into her armor and withdrew a small cluster of little silver bells, hearing Yuwen Yue's slight intake of breath as he recognized them.

Wordlessly, she looked him in the eye and then attached the bells to Po Yue Jian just as he'd done when he'd thought she'd died. Chu Qiao knew that she'd likely never get the chance to return the bells to Yuwen Yue otherwise, so she relished the chance to give him back something that had meant so much to both of them before it was too late.

"For luck," she whispered, hoping to disguise her true intentions.

She should've known better, for she could tell by Yuwen Yue's agonized expression that he knew exactly what she was saying.

"No, X'er," he rasped, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close, swords and all. "I don't need those bells. I need you, remember?"

He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her tenderly; this time, she had neither the strength nor the desire to hold back. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him closer to her, Can Hong Jian still gripped in her left hand and digging into the back of his neck. Yuwen Yue didn't seem to mind in the slightest as he deepened the kiss.

An all-too-short time later, they heard the crunch of footsteps sounding slightly up the hill from where their cave was located. Chu Qiao laughed inwardly at the antics of her match-making commander and his subtle way of giving them time to compose themselves if they were doing...exactly what they were doing, in fact. She broke the kiss and tried to pull away, looking at Yuwen Yue in question when he wouldn't let her go.

"Let him have his reward for all of his machinations, Xing'er," he murmured into her ear. "He's worked hard to bring us together, and he should get to see the results of his efforts, don't you think?"

"Mm," Chu Qiao agreed, not protesting when his mouth descended on hers again.

 _If no other good comes as a result of my choice to break from Yan Xun when I did, at least I got to share this moment with this man—the man that I love._

She couldn't help but grin into the kiss when she heard He Xiao's strangled, embarrassed cough. Yuwen Yue broke things off, looking down at her with a more potent expression than she'd ever seen on his face. Chu Qiao couldn't remember the last time she'd felt the reality of their terrible timing so keenly.

 _Oh, now I remember,_ she thought hazily _: a few hours ago when he tried to kiss me and then Zhong Yu and Mister Wu showed up. Someday, we're not going to get interrupted, and-_

That thought snapped her back to reality as she remembered where they were and why He Xiao was here. She tried to pull herself back together, but only had limited success. The warrior in her was yelling at her for being so stupid as to allow herself to be distracted before going into battle, but the rest of her just shrugged and figured that an extra bit of concentration wasn't going to matter much either way.

"Hello, He Xiao," she said in a businesslike tone that only served to get an enormous grin out of the Xiuli commander.

"Are you ready, Chu Da Ren, Young Master Yue?" he asked, still smiling fiercely.

"Yes, we are," she said after taking a deep breath.

Her feet seemed almost rooted to the spot, however, not wanting to leave the safety of this cave behind. In it, she'd found something she'd never expected to find—especially given how she'd felt when she'd first walked into it. Now she found herself marching off to almost certain death, the man she loved marching right behind her to meet the same…

 _No. No, I won't let him die. I doubt I'm going to live, but I won't let him die. I swear to the heavens I won't let him die—which means I have to live as long as I can so that I can protect him. I will protect him, even if it costs me everything. I swear it._

Yuwen Yue stepped up close behind her, as always serving as the strong, safe presence at her back. She took that first step forward, and her legs started working again. Walking silently behind He Xiao, she gripped Can Hong Jian tightly in her hand. She stopped as she reached the end of the corridor, turning around and looking up at Yuwen Yue.

"I remember," she said firmly, thinking of the words he'd said to her earlier—and at Xiao Ce's palace. "And I need you, too."

Not waiting to see the reaction of the man she loved, she turned her face and her mind towards the battlefield that awaited them and walked out into the early morning light.

* * *

AN: I know I've developed a reputation for heartlessness by denying our OTP kisses, but I had to make sure CQ was ready first. Besides, I needed a bridge between the Assassination arc and the Battle of Xiuli Mountain arc; I think this fits nicely, don't you think? Now on to the battle—and, of course, the icy lake.

This chapter was definitely CQ's, so this week's musical recommendation, "Lover. Fighter" by Svrcina, reflects CQ's state of mind pretty well as she puts on her armor and marches to the front lines.

I know that there's a decent bit of interest in the English-speaking fandom about reading novel translations, so I figured that y'all might be interested in regular updates of a group of translators who have organized and are working on translating the entire novel. For this week, I'll simply direct you to this place, which has a stickied list/description of all the different translators and their areas of expertise: sueleesunshine dot com/ Starting next week, I'll list updates at the end of each chapter I post so that those interested can know what's been newly translated. I know some of you are already following all or some of these blogs, but I figured I could update things for those who are not.


	8. Chapter 8

AN: I'm glad that the kiss scene made so many of y'all happy last week; that's just the beginning for our OTP. Some of y'all have asked for reassurance that I won't kill off all or part of the OTP. Normally I'm okay with torturing my readers a bit (in the best sorts of ways, of course), but given how canon burned (or froze) us, I don't have a problem with issuing a reminder that this is a XingYue Happy Ending Ahead (HEA) fic. That doesn't mean I'm not going to torment our OTP, push them to their limits, and make them hurt, but they're tough and surrounded by resourceful, creative people who are dedicated to their protection.

Next week will be the icy lake scene, but first, we have to get there. Canon was lax in terms of showing us what the heck was going on at the beginning of the ambush of YWY, so I've done my best to put together a battle sequence that makes sense. (The XingYue scene is at the end, so feel free to scroll down and read that first;P.)

* * *

Zhong Yu stood near the edge of the high ridge that she, Mister Wu, and some of the Xiulis had turned into a command center. This ridge was nearly impregnable, only reachable by a single, narrow path that cut through uneven, unstable terrain. That lack of accessibility was both a blessing and a curse, and Zhong Yu knew that her job would be to keep that single lane of access open for their runners to be able to take orders to various groups of their soldiers and to bring back reports from the field.

Not that their strategy was particularly complex. After all, they only had about a hundred men and 4 elite kungfu fighters. They'd divided the Xiulis up into three groups: one to guard the back pass, one to guard the main pass, and one to guard the command area and surrounding ridges. The basic goal was to hold the passes as long as they could, first using their archers to thin the enemy's numbers with their moderate supply of arrows while taking advantage of the passes' narrow walls.

Eventually, however, the enemy's significantly higher numbers and their own lack of arrows would force everyone to fall back to the heads of the passes, where the Xiulis had erected various ramparts and berms as impromptu battlements. They would still be able to capitalize on the narrow nature of the passes' sides, but would have more room to mount a concentrated defense.

Nobody was under any sort of illusion that they'd be able to hold off the enemy indefinitely, but they would, at least, be able to hold out for a while longer before succumbing to the inevitable. Once the enemy broke through their lines, they would be forced to fall back to the shores of the icy lake, where they would all form up together behind a swiftly-erected barricade and make their last stand. Whatever archers had managed to survive up to that point would retreat up onto the ridges and use the high ground to shoot whatever enemies they could until they ran out of arrows or died themselves.

They had done what they could to divide up their best fighters evenly. Yuwen Yue would lead the Xiulis who were holding the main pass; A'Chu would lead the archers who were tasked with holding the back pass and would then retreat to help He Xiao hold the back pass behind their battlements. Mister Wu had initially wanted He Xiao to fight at the main pass, but Yuwen Yue had recommended that he fight at the back pass, and that had been that. The expression on his face had made clear to everyone that he wanted He Xiao to be in a position to protect A'Chu if he couldn't do so himself, and nobody had had the heart to argue with him.

 _What does it really matter, anyway?_ Zhong Yu mused to herself, looking out at the currently pristine white and gray landscape before her that would soon be littered with the bodies of the dead and dying. _Would we really stand a better chance of winning if He Xiao were to help to guard this pass instead of that one? No, it's best to let him go down fighting at A'Chu's side—especially since Yuwen Yue might not get the chance._

Of course, there was always the possibility that both her friend and Young Master Yue could end up surviving until the final stage of the battle, in which case they'd get to go down making their last stand together. Perversely, Zhong Yu hoped that that's what would happen since she knew that the two of them fighting together as one would be something to see.

 _Especially given the recent developments in their relationship…_

As a woman in love herself, Zhong Yu recognized the signs in her old friend. The potent glances, the awkwardness, the things she'd said right before Zhong Yu and Mister Wu had left the cave...all of these pointed to the idea that A'Chu had finally figured out her heart at the worst possible moment. While Zhong Yu had long considered Yuwen Yue to be an adversary and, at times, an outright enemy, she'd known for equally as long that A'Chu and the spymaster had had a tempestuous, complicated relationship before she and Zhong Yu had even met each other.

 _Given the circumstances, if they managed to find even a little bit of happiness before the end…_

Not that Zhong Yu anticipated getting to see a happy ending for any of them. While she probably wouldn't be seeing a great deal of fighting early in the battle, she knew that she and Mister Wu would likely go down fighting at the battle's end. Once the enemy had taken the passes, fought along the shores of the icy lake, and taken the other ridges, they would head for the command center, where she and Mister Wu would make their own last stand with whatever Xiulis were left.

 _That doesn't even take into consideration the possibility that the enemy might even send troops up the side of the mountain and directly onto the ridges, in which case our job would be to repel that force for as long as possible._

Xiuli Mountain was basically a series of peaks that centered around the depression that contained the icy lake and its shores, and there were various small paths that led up the mountain and down into the bowl of the icy lake. Those ways could be treacherous, however, and she felt that the best strategy for the enemy to employ would be to simply use brute force to take the passes and then to wipe out all resistance they encountered. Of course, with his superiority of numbers, there was no way for her to fully know what A'Jing-

- _the enemy_ , she forcefully reminded herself. _Not A'Jing, my old friend. The enemy—for so I must think of him if we're to have even a chance of surviving._

Part of her wished that she'd taken a chance on her old friend and had asked him to join their rebellion; another part of her wished that she'd just walked away from A'Chu and the rest of Yanbei like she'd originally planned. She and Mister Wu would be alive and well, maybe finally being able to plan their wedding instead of a last stand.

Not too long ago, a runner had reported to her and Mister Wu the presence of not only A'Jing but of most of the remaining generals and their troops—and a mysterious, beautiful woman dressed all in black. Zhong Yu had paled slightly as the runner had gone on to describe Xiao Yu, the Liang princess. Had she fooled A'Jing into thinking she was someone else or had he knowingly conspired with the head spy of Liang just to have an elite fighter in his force? As far as she knew, A'Jing had never met the Liang princess in person, so he honestly might not know what she looked like.

 _Not that your hands are clean in that regard, either,_ she bitterly reminded herself. _You were willing to deal with her, too, if doing so meant escaping from Chang'an with Yan Xun and your people and reuniting with the man you love._

Soft footsteps sounded behind her and she recognized the tread of the man she'd just been thinking about. Mister Wu, barely visible against the snow and ice in his white robes, stood silently at her side, perhaps visualizing the carnage that would soon be laid out below them just like she'd done. Zhong Yu shifted closer to him, allowing their arms and shoulders to brush. She realized an elemental truth: For this man, she'd willingly fight anyone, kill anyone. For this man, she'd survive as long as she could in order to defend and protect him.

 _Not that he really needs my protection,_ she admitted to herself. _He's probably the best fighter here, perhaps even better than Yuwen Yue. His strongest weapon has always been his mind, but that doesn't mean that he won't be able to do his part to make the enemy regret ever setting foot on Xiuli Mountain._

Deciding that she didn't care what the troops behind her thought, she leaned her head against his shoulder. She was pleasantly surprised when Mister Wu rested his own head against hers, not seeming to care about the eyes watching them, either.

 _Maybe whatever's gotten into A'Chu and Young Master Yue's contagious_ , Zhong Yu mused, remembering how closely the two of them had been walking when they'd reached the top of the back pass, how widely He Xiao had been smiling, and how reluctantly they'd parted ways as Yuwen Yue had left to go defend the main pass.

Soon, the battle would be joined, and she'd be forced to fight against her own countrymen, many of whom she didn't consider to be her enemy. While that idea bothered her, she shrugged it off. After all, Zhong Yu was used to having to do hard things to survive, and she knew that if she was going to live to see another day, she was going to have to do many more hard things. For now, however, she could enjoy a moment's peace and savor the simple pleasure of standing closely to the man she loved—the man she'd fight for and with until the bitter end.

* * *

Chu Qiao and some of the men she'd trained were crouched behind the rocks and scrub pines atop the walls of the back pass. Their job was simple: to hold the back pass for as long as they could by shooting their limited supply of arrows at anyone who came through it. As Chu Qiao was waiting for the battle to start, she found her mind wandering to Yuwen Yue instead of strategy. She berated herself for her lack of concentration, part of her reminding herself that this was why she hadn't wanted to get involved with Yuwen Yue in the first place.

 _But what does it really matter?_ another part of her responded to the first. _After all, the plan is as simple as it can be. Step 1: Shoot arrows at the enemy until you run out of arrows or die. Step 2: Fall back to the mouth of the pass and defend that position until the enemy overruns you or you die. Step 3: Fall back to the shores of the icy lake and form up with the rest of the Xiulis as you fight to the last man until you die. That's it. That's the strategy._

Her mind insisted on reliving their kiss and exchange over and over again; she had to admit that there were worse ways that she could've spent her last few moments of peace before the beginning of the fight. The various parts of Chu Qiao's mind had been debating whether or not she should've told Yuwen Yue she loved him, each one voicing its own opinion. The rational side of her said that a confession of love would've mattered little in the scheme of things and that she needed to focus more on survival anyway. The emotional part of her said that she was right to spare Yuwen Yue the agony that a confession of love right before certain death might've caused since he was going to survive today somehow. That insidious part of her mind screamed at her for not telling him she loved him, taking him up on his half-serious offer to run away with him, and heading off with him for parts unknown.

 _What's done is done,_ Chu Qiao finally decided, mentally shrugging. _If some miracle of the heavens occurs and I survive the day, then I'll tell him. I know in my heart that my reasons for not telling him I love him were just, and I don't regret doing what I could to spare him the pain he'll suffer when I die and he lives—_ _and he_ will _live_ _._

The sounds of shifting stones and rough men's voices sounded in the pass near where they were, and all thoughts of Yuwen Yue fled instantly. She signaled her men and saw that all of them were already ready with their first arrows nocked. The beginning of the end had begun, and her stomach tightened as the first men carefully picked their way through the twists and turns of the pass and came into her view.

These men were low-ranking battle fodder, guys who would not be missed when combat began in earnest. Zhong Yu had told her that A'Jing and Xiao Yu were leading the army, so she was not surprised that they'd decided to throw these relatively unskilled soldiers at them early. Chu Qiao's mouth tightened as she recognized the soldiers who used to guard her in Yan Xun's palace mixed in among the first group of men sent to the slaughter.

 _I guess this is their penalty for failure,_ Chu Qiao thought, her heart hardening towards A'Jing and the friendship they'd once shared.

She slowly raised her right arm and dropped it, pulling her own arrow back and adding the sound of her twanging bowstring to those made by her men. The first row of men dropped, but the press of soldiers forged grimly on. She raised and lowered her hand again, getting her men into a firing rhythm that served them well in terms of results. Bodies began to pile up in the pass, making the way even more treacherous for the ever-present crowd of men stolidly pushing through to the top of Xiuli Mountain and the icy lake in its middle.

Chu Qiao and her archers kept firing, knowing that they were spending all of their arrows early but also knowing that they had to decrease the enemy's forces in as efficient a manner as possible. These early waves of men weren't even trying to fire back; they didn't even have bows. Their job was to march, die, and force their enemies to use up their arrows. This wasn't a battle; this was a slaughter, and Chu Qiao's anger burned hot against both her old friend and her old enemy.

At last, there was a break in the action; Chu Qiao wondered if the enemy was going to try to clear some of the bodies from the pass given how difficult moving through it had become. She was tempted to scamper down herself and to retrieve some arrows to reuse given how low their supply was becoming, but she held herself in check. Going down into the pass seemed like a fine way to get caught in a trap, and she wasn't going to fall for such trickery.

A couple of her men were not so wise and decided to try to collect some arrows themselves. Chu Qiao ordered them to return to their posts, but they didn't listen, too caught up in the excitement of being able to recover some arrows for future use to heed her warning. She held up a raised fist and ordered the rest of her men to stay put; they obeyed her without question.

The men who had picked their way down to the bottom of the pass stood atop the corpse mountain and began pulling arrows out of their victims. They were suddenly cut down as the next force came marching through the pass—archers, surrounded by a ring of foot soldiers with shields and clearly bent on the destruction of those who were holding the pass so efficiently and completely.

 _Now the real battle begins,_ Chu Qiao grimly thought as she raised her hand, waiting for the archers and their protectors to get in range. As soon as they were, she signaled her men, and they released their first volley. Those archers who didn't fall responded, however, and Chu Qiao heard several arrows find their marks in her men. The enemy's force wasn't large, but the archers were fairly skilled and had soon inflicted multiple casualties on her small group. She and her men managed to kill all of the archers and their guards, but their own numbers, already low to begin with, had taken a solid hit.

As the next wave of soldiers came through the pass, Chu Qiao knew that it would be their last. They didn't have enough arrows to withstand another barrage, and this group would likely be able to push past their current position. The air was once again filled with the twang of bowstrings as her dedicated band of Xiuli archers continued to pick off the advancing foe. Another break in the action came, and Chu Qiao didn't hesitate to signal her men to retreat. They'd done all they could here, and she was reasonably satisfied with the results.

Her archers gathered up the remaining supplies and swiftly made their way up towards Mister Wu, Zhong Yu, and the ridge troops. She knew they'd set up along the various ridges in order to fire down on the enemy when the battle finally shifted to the icy lake area below them.

"Good luck, Chu Da Ren," one of the archers said, clasping his bow in front of him, bowing, and turning off to go up the path before him.

Other archers echoed the sentiment; blank-faced, she wished them well as well. She knew that she'd never see a single one of them again. Chu Qiao jogged swiftly down the path that led to the head of the pass, relieved to see a decent number of troops already in position behind a number of both natural and man-made battlements. She knew that some of the men had even set up a spear line tilting down into the mouth of the pass itself, wanting to make the enemy fight its way uphill before reaching the pass's head.

He Xiao was standing in the middle of everyone, his typical fierce battle mask on his face and his sword clasped in his hands. As if sensing her presence, he turned around and faced her as she came the last few steps towards their group of troops. Their eyes locked as the sound of men chanting, "Kill! Kill! Kill!" reached their ears.

 _No,_ Chu Qiao thought grimly, this _is where the real battle begins._

* * *

As Chu Da Ren strode towards him, He Xiao tried to remember how many other times he'd seen this woman coming to save him and his men. He himself did not fear death, for how many times had he cheated it already?

 _Or, more specifically, how many times had this woman cheated death on his behalf?_

Their small group of men parted down the middle for Chu Da Ren, their faces solemn as she marched between them with her head held high and her sword in her hand. He Xiao knew that she'd recently wielded her bow, and he wished that she'd chosen to go up on the ridge with it and maybe live a bit longer. He knew that such a suggestion would be immediately shot down, however; indeed, no one had even bothered to make it during the planning sessions.

 _This is her place,_ He Xiao reluctantly acknowledged. _This is who she really is—at least in terms of combat. I'd like to believe that somehow, some way, she'll be able to become someone who doesn't have to fight all the time._

While he knew that the odds of any of them surviving until the sun was high in the sky were slim, he still couldn't help but want nothing but good things for this woman who'd already risked so much for him and his men. No resentment or bitterness showed on her face, however; in fact, she looked like she was simply heading to the practice area for some sparring.

"He Xiao," she said, inclining her head towards him. "Are you ready?"

"We're as ready as we can be, Chu Da Ren," he replied. "As you can see, our battlements are in place, and our spear line is already set up in front of the mouth of the pass. We'll do our best to hold the line; you can stay near the back and make sure that nobody gets through."

She smiled humorlessly at him.

"You know I'll never let people sacrifice themselves for me, He Xiao. The spearmen, of course, have to stay down front, but I won't let the other men be cut down in front of me just to buy me another few minutes of life. No, He Xiao; you and I will hold the middle of the line until they break through, and then we'll retreat if we're still alive."

He clasped his sword and bowed to Chu Da Ren, a slight misting of tears in his eyes. If there were any way he could've offered his life for hers, he would've done it on the spot. Instead, he drew first his sword and then Dragon Bird, holding one in each hand. If Chu Da Ren was determined to fight to the death, then he'd do so as well at her side until his time came and he could join his brothers who had gone on before.

 _Ge Qi and Wu Danyu, I wish you were here almost as much as I'm glad you're not here. For what it's worth, my brothers, we made the right choice in trusting Chu Da Ren. We were never going to be forgiven by Yanbei, but at least we can give our lives for the one woman who was willing to treat us like men and to give us honorable warriors' deaths._

The first soldiers rounded the final corner of the pass and sped up upon seeing the enemy waiting for them. They were spearmen as well; He Xiao wasn't surprised that the enemy had anticipated their own use of spears in this situation. His men had the advantage of fighting from the high ground, but he knew that their spear line would only last so long.

The two groups came together in a crash, several men impaling one another along the line. Then the jabbing and slashing began in earnest as each side tried to gain an advantage over the other. Cries of the wounded and dying rang out once again, and bodies began to litter the mouth of the pass.

Their spear line was having more success than the enemy's due to the height differential, but the fallen spearmen's places were taken by enemy foot soldiers wielding their swords with deft skill. One by one, their spearmen fell, having fought well but eventually being overcome by the sheer number of troops that had set upon them. They took down more of the enemy than their number, though, which was all that He Xiao could ask of them.

As the last spearman died, the enemy gave a great yell and scrambled up the incline towards the mouth of the pass, stumbling over bodies as they ran to meet the small group of Xiulis that awaited them. The first group of Xiuli swordsmen met their Yanbei counterparts in a flurry of stabs and slashes, the battle-hardened Xiulis seeming to have a slight advantage.

Before He Xiao could stop her, Chu Da Ren waded into the melee, her distinctive sword flashing in the light of the late-morning sun. Her men gave a great roar as they recognized her, making room for her on the line as she went to work. She was all speed and movement, never slowing, never hesitating, never stopping. Somehow, He Xiao found himself at her side, and he started wielding his two weapons as well.

He saw looks of fear and anger on some of the faces coming at him as they saw him wielding Dragon Bird. These men didn't have on the uniform of Cheng Yuan's Black Eagles, but maybe they'd been sympathetic to his policies. Maybe they were simply afraid of the blade due to its history. Not that He Xiao cared one way or another; they were trying to harm his men and Chu Da Ren, therefore they were the enemy and their thoughts were not important.

He Xiao had no idea how long they fought side by side, he and Chu Da Ren. He could almost swear that he felt the malevolent energy of Dragon Bird pulsing through him as its inner demon drank deeply of the blood of the enemy. He knew that such a weapon wouldn't care about who the enemy was, so long as it got to drink its share of blood. He Xiao decided that he didn't really care who the enemy was, either; after all, had Yanbei not turned its back on he and his men in spite of all that they'd tried to do for their people?

Eventually He Xiao realized that he had gradually been going backwards while fighting the enemy and that he was actually coming to the edge of their battlements. Some of his men had taken advantage of the small, crude palisades and berms they'd erected over the past couple of days and nights, but he and Chu Da Ren had done their part to hold the middle. But as they'd always known would happen, too many of their men had fallen, and too many of the enemy were pouring through the mouth of the pass.

Out of the corner of his eye, He Xiao saw a runner sprint for what was left of their poor, bedraggled group. He killed the man he'd been fighting and ran over to the runner, who was so out of breath that all he could do was point up into the woods behind them. He Xiao looked up and, to his horror, saw several groups of troops coming down over the top ridge of the mountain and disappearing into the woods. The runner managed to get out that they'd been doing that for awhile and that the first wave of the Black Eagles—for that's who they were—would likely reach the troops on the ridge at any time.

He Xiao's mouth thinned as he contemplated his options, but since the runner had brought no instructions from Mister Wu, he assumed that his orders were the same as they'd always been: To hold the pass as long as possible and to fall back near the icy lake when their lines fell. Turning back towards the fight, his eyes immediately picked out Chu Da Ren thanks to the presence of her sword.

 _A lover's sword,_ He Xiao acknowledged. _Or more specifically, the sword that likely marks her as the beloved of the wielder of its mate. If she survives but Young Master Yue dies…_

He Xiao put such counterproductive thoughts from his mind as he fought his way back into the battle. The line was already faltering, but he knew that they could still fight here a few minutes more before the situation became untenable. As he got closer to Chu Da Ren, he could see that she was covered in slices and slashes of various levels of severity. None of them seemed life-threatening, but he knew that even someone as strong as Chu Da Ren wouldn't be able to keep fighting forever.

Just as he reached Chu Da Ren, the front line finally faltered, causing a loud cry to go up from the enemy as they streamed out of the back pass and towards what was left of their already-small group of Xiulis. Chu Da Ren held her ground, giving her men the chance to retreat behind some of the last crude ramparts they'd been able to construct. They provided only limited protection, however, and He Xiao was finally forced to give the order he'd been dreading, the order that truly would signal the beginning of the end.

"Fall back!" he yelled loudly. "Fall back to our battlements near the icy lake!"

His men needed no further prompting, abandoning their current shaky positions for the momentary safety provided by the path leading down to the shoreline that would likely become their final resting place. While he hoped that the men at the main pass had had better fortune than they themselves had experienced, he also knew that he and his men—not to mention Chu Da Ren—would not likely last long without their help.

 _Not that I expected to live this long today,_ He Xiao mused as he noticed that the sun was at its apex.

He also spared a few glances up at the various ridges that ringed their side of Xiuli Mountain, noting that the third contingent of Xiulis—which now obviously included both Miss Yu and Mister Wu as he could see them fighting together like a pair of warrior gods—were fully engaged with the bloodthirsty, vengeful Black Eagles. While He Xiao despised Cheng Yuan's men on principal, he had to admire them for their bravery in taking a hard route up the mountain and a treacherous route down its slopes.

His time for reflection ran out as he and the rest of their ragtag force reached the simple stockade they'd erected in the dead of night at what they'd known would be their last place of defense. It was just a series of wooden barricades crafted of crossed logs and rope, but at least it would provide them with some sort of barrier that they could fight behind.

The enemy ran down the pathway, swords in their hands and loud yells coming from their mouths. A few of the Black Eagles had begun to trickle down through the woods as well, likely wanting to be the ones to kill the woman who had assassinated their general. He Xiao knew that they wouldn't last half a stick of incense against such terrible odds—especially without the aid of whoever was left from defending the main pass.

A loud, sudden whooshing noise came from the direction of the main pass, and Chu Da Ren flinched as she seemed to recognize the sound. A variety of positive and negative emotions flashed across her face; He Xiao looked at her in question.

"That was the sound of one of Yuwen Yue's ice arrows," she explained calmly. "If he's fired it, then that likely means that they'll be retreating, too—or that that was the last thing he could do before..."

"I'm sure he'll—they'll-be here soon, Chu Da Ren," He Xiao did his best to reassure his general. "You know that nothing can keep Young Master Yue from your side—least of all, these fatherless dogs."

Chu Da Ren smiled wanly at him, but turned away as she picked a spot along the side of the barricade facing the main pass and stood there, ready to face the swarm of men who were pelting the last few steps towards them. She looked at her upraised sword, obviously worried about its mate's wielder. He Xiao had no further words of encouragement, so he simply settled in near Chu Da Ren and prepared for the end.

* * *

Meng Feng had no idea how they'd managed to get their cobbled-together force this far this fast without discovery, but they had. They'd killed every scout or guard they'd encountered, and there had been no sign thus far that the enemy knew of their approach. As they reached the bend in the road that led to where she knew thousands of enemy troops awaited them, Yuan Song pulled up his horse, raised his right hand, and then pointed it towards the trees.

The archers separated from the main force and silently picked their way through the woods, their goal to set up a perimeter around the tree line from which they'd be able to shoot as many officers as they could when the time came. Meng Feng knew that these men were skilled in the art of picking perches from which to fire that would support their weight and give them cover, so she was unworried about this part of the plan.

After a few minutes had passed, Yuan Song once again raised his hand and gestured towards the trees, this time signaling the spearmen to get in position. They would lead the charge once the archers had taken advantage of the element of surprise. The rest of the men shifted anxiously, obviously wanting to get this battle underway.

Meng Feng smiled softly in amusement as she remembered the difficulty that she and her fellow spies and assassins had endured as they'd tried to convince the officers with them that riding and running hard, yelling at the top of their lungs, and charging straight for the enemy was not the best strategy. This affinity for yelling and sword-waving before battle was a mystery for Meng Feng, who couldn't understand why anyone would want to waste all that energy and give away the element of surprise.

They'd grudgingly agreed to do this the "spy way," as they'd called it, so they were now sneaking through the woods rather than tromping through them. Yuan Song soon put them out of their misery, however, and gave the signal for at least some of the troops to blend into the woods behind the spears. Of course, there wasn't room for their entire force in those woods, but there would be enough troops in there to provide a solid surprise attack on the enemy.

The cavalry, of course, would ride with them on the road; their plan was the simplest of all: round the bend and run over as many people as they could before they had to stop and fight. The rest of their foot soldiers would come behind them, ready to capitalize on the gouge that the horsemen would hopefully be able to gash in the enemy's lines.

Yuan Song nodded to a soldier who was already standing near the tree line; he immediately disappeared into the woods in order to tell the archers that they could commence their attack at once. Since this part of the battle didn't require precision in terms of timing, Meng Feng knew that Yuan Song didn't want to give away his presence yet by being the one to give a signal from a visible place.

The twang of bowstrings filled the air, and a few seconds later, she heard the first cries of shock and pain. The archers kept firing, hopefully taking down at least a few generals and higher-ranking officers. Meng Feng's hands tightened on her reins as the same soldier Yuan Song had sent into the woods several minutes ago returned to report that the enemy was beginning to mobilize. Yuan Song nodded to the man, who disappeared back into the woods to give the order to charge.

They did the same thing themselves, urging their horses faster as softly as they could. While they no longer had the element of surprise in terms of their presence, the enemy still didn't know the size of their numbers—and they wanted to maintain that advantage if possible. As they rounded the corner at a gallop, the enemy appeared before them in complete disarray. Clearly they had all been facing Xiuli Mountain and readying themselves to attack it, so they were not at all set up to deal with a sudden sneak attack at their backs.

Without any shouts or yells, the cavalry plowed into the Yanbei forces that were closest to the road. Just as they'd hoped, they swiftly penetrated deep into the various Yanbei legions. The screams and moans of the hurt and dying from the perimeter told them that their forest forces had also begun their attack and that their spearmen were using the greater reach of their weapons to their advantage. Swords clanged in the early-afternoon air, attesting that their foot soldiers were also engaged with the enemy.

This was not Meng Feng's type of fight; she preferred to battle in the shadows one-on-one. However, these troops would soon otherwise be trying to kill Young Master Yue and his allies, so she was willing to do whatever was necessary to dispose of them.

 _Not to mention that they're trying to kill Yuan Song,_ she admitted to herself as she made sure to keep herself just in front of the prince on his right side. A few arrows came their way from who-knew-where, but she easily deflected them into the churning melee below. They were already nearing the center of the army, and she gripped the handle of her sword tighter as her eyes locked with her old enemy.

"What are you doing here, Xiao Yu?" Meng Feng shouted, breaking the relative silence of their attack. "Aren't you worried that these soldiers are going to find out that you're the princess of Liang—and their head spy?"

"Or maybe someone will tell them that you're also largely responsible for setting events in motion that caused the deaths of the Duke of Yanbei's family as well as numerous innocent Yanbei people," Yue Qi said, getting into the act.

"Surely these loyal soldiers of Yanbei would never follow such a person into battle," Xia Chong said mockingly, her voice carrying over the entire battlefield.

"Don't listen to the lies of the enemy," Xiao Yu said to those around her. "Surely you're not going to believe Yuwen Yue's people over me, are you?"

"And who are you?" one of the generals growled at her. "Nobody recognizes you. Nobody's seen you around. Nobody really cared who you were because you actually seemed to know what you were doing, unlike some."

"I'm here to get vengeance on traitors, but I'm not willing to deal with traitors in order to get it," another general said.

Their mischief managed for the moment as Xiao Yu and the other generals continued bickering, the three of them went back to hacking their way through the Yanbei lines. Meng Feng could see that numerous soldiers who had been heading for the passes and up the side of the mountain had turned back, and she was glad that if nothing else, at least they'd been able to take some of the pressure off of their friends.

She was proud of Yuan Song, who had been stolidly wielding his sword left-handed and doing a fine job of it. Of course, she had made sure to keep as many fighters away from him as she could, but he'd pulled his weight, and she knew that everyone who'd seen him had noticed. If they managed to live through today, his actions might end up making his ascension to the throne easier.

Meng Feng's nape hairs prickled and she looked up, finding the dark eyes of A'Jing boring into her as he approached their group. Not that she could blame him; given how the leaders of his coalition had descended into unproductive arguments, him coming for the leader of their own force was logical. In all honesty, however, she didn't want to kill this man because she knew that their allies valued him and even considered him a friend. He slightly changed direction, however, and Meng Feng realized that he was going not towards herself but towards Yuan Song.

 _That's the line in the sand_ , she admitted to herself. _I won't let this man touch the prince._

She brought her horse around and put both him and herself between A'Jing and Yuan Song. They were more or less at the base of the mountain anyway, so their charge was at and end. All that was left now was the fighting—and she would soon be fighting one of the best soldiers on the field.

"Are you really going to hide behind a woman, Your Highness?" A'Jing said mockingly to Yuan Song.

The prince looked at him in confusion.

"You don't strike me as the type to put down a warrior just because she's a woman given the company you keep," Yuan Song said. "Besides, I seem to remember Yan Xun being perfectly willing to use A'Chu and Miss Yu in order to achieve his ends."

"But Yan Xun didn't let women fight his battles for him," A'Jing said.

Meng Feng realized what A'Jing was trying to do, but she had enough faith in the prince to let him handle this particular situation on his own before she handled the fight on his behalf.

"Funny, that's not what a lot of my men said," Yuan Song returned calmly. "In fact, many of them seemed to think that they owed A'Chu for not only _their_ lives but for the lives of their families."

A'Jing's face hardened.

"You are not as I expected you to be."

"I get that a lot," Yuan Song said, smiling softly. "You can stop trying to get me to do something stupid by making me angry now; it's not going to work and I really need to get to my friends."

The battle raged on around them, but by some mutual agreement, the combatants seemed to agree to leave the uppers to fight among themselves and to concentrate on each other—for the moment, at least.

"And for the record, yes, I would gladly hide behind Meng Feng," Yuan Song said. "She's a much better fighter than I am, so I'd be a fool not to let her act as my champion."

Meng Feng's heart swelled, and she let a bit of her feelings show in her eyes for a few moments. She saw not just Yuan Song's but A'Jing's eyes widen as well, so she reined herself in. The enemy leader's eyes now held a trace of...regret?

He held up his two bloody battle axes, however, and all thoughts of feelings fled. She lifted her own sword just in time to block his first slash. Meng Feng crab-walked her horse and used her sword's length advantage to score a slice on his right arm. He acted like he didn't feel it, however; he probably didn't, given the circumstances.

She continued to dance around him on her horse, doing her best to stay out of his reach. A'Jing was an expert fighter, however, and he succeeded in slicing her in several places as well. Suddenly he lunged inside her guard, catching her out of position and gashing her painfully in her gut. He used that momentum to carry them both off of their horses and onto the muddy, churned-up ground.

Meng Feng did her best to block out not only the pain coming from her side but the pain she'd heard in Yuan Song's voice as A'Jing had wounded her—and the clashing sounds of combat behind her that told her that someone had unhorsed Yuan Song and was fighting him without her there to help. She fell back on her training, her sword parrying, blocking, and slicing without much conscious thought. A'Jing was similarly intense, his eyes devoid of any emotion.

 _Not that they'd been particularly emotional before,_ she mused as she managed to score a crease on his neck before he closed with her again. _Except at the end, when…_

"I'm sorry to have to kill you, you know," A'Jing said almost conversationally as he narrowly missed her with one of his axes. "Contrary to those things I said before, I've actually known and admired many female fighters. You remind me of them and fight with their courage."

"I don't want to kill you either," Meng Feng said, nevertheless taking the opportunity to try to stab him. "I know that Chu Qiao and Zhong Yu consider you a friend, and I don't want to have to tell them I killed you."

"But you will," he said, catching the side of her armor with the tip of an axe as she managed to dodge out of the way. "Because of him."

"Yes," she said. "His safety's more important than my feelings."

"His safety's related to your feelings," A'Jing said matter-of-factly, swinging at her. "You can't fool me. I once loved a woman like you."

"What-"

"She's dead," he continued without missing a beat. "She died in the defense of Hongchuan, fighting at A'Chu's side. I buried her in a lovely, peaceful spot. There's plenty of room next to her; hopefully that will be my final resting place as well."

Meng Feng had no idea what to say, so she said nothing; A'Jing didn't seem to mind her silence, however, and continued speaking.

"Don't worry," he said softly. "Once I kill you, I'll kill him, too. He won't have to live without you like I've had to live without my beloved. I'll even make sure to bury you together. I'm not heartless, after all. I'm just doing what I have to do to get vengeance for my friend and ruler."

A moment later, A'Jing stepped on the leg of a fallen soldier and slipped. Meng Feng took the opportunity to run him through, knowing she'd likely never get another chance. Her mind was already turning to Yuan Song's safety as she pulled her bloody sword from between A'Jing's armor plates.

"B-b-bury..." he grated out, pulling her attention back to himself. "B-b-bury me...next to...her. B-b..."

"But I don't know where-" she said, stopping mid-sentence to kill an enemy soldier that had come leaping at her in a blind fury, probably wanting to avenge his fallen leader.

"A-A'Chu and..M-miss Y-Yu...know. B-b-bury...promise me..."

"I will," Meng Feng said solemnly. "If we live, I'll do my best to bury you next to your beloved. Go to her now."

The odd warrior breathed his last, and Meng Feng whipped around to find Yuan Song looking relatively well given the circumstances. While she knew that his good condition likely had a lot to do with the presence of Yue Qi, who was currently fighting at his right side, she smiled with pride at the fact that he was holding his own so well.

Without missing a beat, Yue Qi shifted his focus to other enemies and allowed Meng Feng to retake her place at Yuan Song's side. He grinned at her, thanking her with his eyes and seeking reassurance that she was okay. She was far from okay, but she wasn't about to let him know how badly her middle was hurting right now. Meng Feng smiled serenely at him, determined to keep fighting—for what choice did she have?

"Throw down your weapons, men!" a beaten, bloody officer said loudly. "There's no reason for us to die today!"

The sound of hundreds of swords hitting the ground rang out across the battlefield as many of the troops who were left laid down their arms. Meng Feng's eyes widened in shock, and they weren't the only ones to do so.

"We didn't even want to come here," the officer explained, holding out his red-stained hands. "I mean no disrespect, Prince, but we know that some of your countrymen could be paying us a visit any day and we'd rather be ready for them than to die for the pointless vendetta of a bunch of men who have already preceded us into the afterlife."

Pockets of fighting still raged—including, to Meng Feng's wry amusement, Xiao Yu and Xia Chong, who seemed to be locked in gleefully malicious combat. Most of the soldiers remaining, however, seemed to share the officer's opinion even if they weren't members of his company.

"If that's how you really feel," Yuan Song said calmly, pointing his sword towards the road behind them, "then go. If you leave now without any of your weapons and make no trouble, you have my word that nobody will harm you."

There was some grumbling about having to leave their weapons behind, but they weren't foolish enough to reach down for them. Some other officers briefly conferred with each other before agreeing to the terms. They even agreed to draw and drop the knives and daggers they carried so that they wouldn't be able to come back and stage a sneak attack.

Yuan Song hailed a young soldier and gave him his orders; the soldier scampered off to spread the word not to harm the sizable contingent of Yanbei soldiers who were leaving the battlefield with no weapons of any kind. All sounds of fighting ceased—except what they could now hear coming from within the center of Xiuli Mountain itself. The tension in their group increased as the desire to move swiftly took hold of them.

"Leave quickly," Yuan Song said to the men, who picked up their pace to the degree of almost running. "We have things to do."

Meng Feng looked at her man in pride as he-

 _My man?! Where did that thought come from?_

 _From the truth, you idiot,_ her mind answered for her.

She mentally shrugged, the pain in her stomach area reminding her that the battle had only been half-won and that she had more immediate issues to think about than her present or future relationship with the man at her side.

"We need to divide up our troops and hit the enemy from the same three angles that they've been using to go after our people," Yue Qi said, his knowledge of the area serving him well. "The main pass is in front of us where most of those men we let go were planning on going. The back pass is around the other side of the mountain, and the other way..."

"That way isn't as hard as it once was now that the Yanbei troops have worn away most of the snow and ice," a somewhat winded Xia Chong said, coming up to them. She was cut and bruised as well, but nothing seemed to be fatal. "That's the way I'm going, because that's the way that Xiao Yu went. I just wanted to tell you so that you could send some soldiers down to fight the enemy on the ridges."

Meng Feng suspected that there was no easy way into the middle of Xiuli Mountain because every path was likely clogged with corpses. Even the fairly wide main pass would probably be difficult to traverse thanks to the dead. It was, however, the best option for getting both her and Yuan Song to where they needed to be as quickly as possible, so they decided to head that way and told the group as much.

"We'll go with you, Miss Chong," one of the Afterlife Camp assassins said. "It'll be just like old times."

"Won't it just," Xia Chong said humorlessly. "Let's go. Time's wasting."

"The Yue guards will lead the forces going through the back pass, then," Yue Qi said.

They set to work dividing up their remaining troops, concentrating the bulk of the forces on the passes since the way was easier but sending a solid contingent of soldiers—including archers for the ridges—up the broken-in trails on the mountainside. Yuan Song pulled himself up on his horse with just his left hand, putting a grin on Meng Feng's face. He smiled back at her tiredly, affection in his eyes.

 _I need to find a way to make this a permanent arrangement between us before every match-making mother and politically-scheming father in Yanbei and the surrounding kingdoms decides to throw their daughters at him—assuming we survive the next while..._

* * *

Chu Qiao gutted yet another soldier, her sword moving as if by rote. Their barricade was gaining an extra layer as corpses continued to pile up outside of it, both helping and hindering the enemy. While the dead bodies gave them additional protection from the enemy for the moment, Chu Qiao knew that they would eventually mound up so high that the enemy would be able to climb over them and penetrate the barricade.

 _Or the barricades will crack under the combined weight of the dead,_ she acknowledged as she slashed the throat of a Black Eagle she recognized as one who had aided in the murder of her Xiulis.

She had no idea how she was still alive, much less any of her men. Their numbers were steadily declining, however, and there had been no sign of Yuwen Yue or anyone from the main pass. Chu Qiao had begun to resign herself to the worst, almost hoping that each next breath would be her last. That thought brought her up short since it went against her typically resilient nature, yet she had to admit that living in the world that her recent decisions had created didn't seem appealing.

 _If Yuwen Yue doesn't survive the day, then I'll have nothing left,_ Chu Qiao thought as she continued to battle, occasionally finding a second to look towards the main pass. _Most of my Xiulis will be gone. Wei will destroy Yanbei. I'll have nowhere to go and no reason to get there—or to want to start over._

A loud crack sounded directly in front of her, ending her morbid musings. As she'd recently predicted, a segment of the barricade had broken under the mound of corpses that had been weighing it down. The enemy soldiers in front of the hole gave a roar and ran towards the breach, intent on killing everyone behind the barricade.

Without missing a beat, Chu Qiao vaulted over the pile of dead and landed on the other side, clearing a space for herself with several well-placed kicks. He Xiao yelled her name, but he fortunately had the sense to hold his own position behind the relative safety of their crude battlements. She lost herself in the rhythm of slicing and slashing, whirling and twirling in place as she held the small piece of land in front of the barricade single-handedly.

She began to tire, and a Black Eagle eventually landed a kick that sent her careening into another soldier and falling to the ground. She quickly gutted that soldier with Can Hong Jian before he could do any harm, but a handful of others were already almost on top of her. One of them kicked her sword out of her hands, sending it flying several feet away.

 _So this is it,_ Chu Qiao thought calmly as she drew her small crossbow from where she'd hidden it in her robes. _And Yuwen Yue must be dead, because if he were alive, he would've come for me. He always comes for me…_

She fired her crossbow once, twice, thrice, smiling sadly as she heard He Xiao cry out her name in anguish.

 _At least he's still alive. Maybe he'll outlive us all…_

The other soldiers were slashing at her with their swords now, all of them clearly wanting to be the man to end the infamous Chu Qiao. There were five soldiers, but she only had three arrows. She shot the last of her arrows, not even bothering to analyze which men she was killing. Trying to evade the remaining blades descending on her, she rolled away from them and drew her knife. One of the swords was already coming at her chest, though, and she knew she'd never be able to evade it in time.

"X'er!" she heard the man she loved yell right before the soldier who had been about to spit her simply disappeared.

One moment he had been there, about to run her through, and the next...Yuwen Yue had already moved onto the next threat, cutting down the enemy in a desperate attempt to clear a space for them to fight side by side. In a smooth, graceful motion born of years of training, he took the knife from her own hand and handed her Po Yue Jian, its bells tinkling so softly that only she could hear them.

She swallowed her protest, knowing that once Yuwen Yue's mind was made up, there was no changing it. Instead, she got to work, reveling in the potent, heady feeling of wielding the blade of her beloved on his behalf. He recovered Can Hong Jian quickly and set himself beside her, both of them automatically taking up a fighting stance that took her back to another time.

Chu Qiao wanted to switch swords with Yuwen Yue, but there was no time to do so as the enemy descended on them again. They knew each other's moves and fighting styles so well that they were able to ebb and flow effortlessly around each other, their bodies and swords moving in graceful tandem. Yuwen Yue grasped her in the same set of holds he'd used in the cave and she responded in kind; this time, their kicks and slashes killed real enemies instead of shadow warriors.

She was peripherally aware that her Xiulis were currently holding their own thanks to the reinforcement of the troops that had fallen back from the main pass; He Xiao was still powering his way through the enemy with his sword and Dragon Bird. Chu Qiao couldn't help but feel a deep sense of sadness, however, given the futility of the current situation.

 _What has my different path really gained me—gained us?_ She thought as she gut-sliced a Black Eagle who had tried to stab Yuwen Yue. _My Xiulis will soon all be dead. Zhong Yu and Mister Wu—who would've been safely out of Yanbei by now—will soon be dead. The rest of Yuwen Yue's people are probably dead. Yanbei will be destroyed. And Yuwen Yue…_

A soldier sliced deeply into Yuwen Yue's left arm, and Chu Qiao ran him through in rage. She doubled the savagery of her attack, her face going as hard as the ice that topped the lake that was only a few feet away. As she powered her way through two Black Eagles, she understood what He Xiao had felt when he'd pulled Dragon Bird from its scabbard for the first time. She could almost feel Po Yue Jian powering her with its energy as the intoxicating sensation of fighting with her beloved's sword and her desperation to save him gave her an extra bit of strength.

 _Yuwen Yue's going to live,_ she vowed again, completing her thought from a few moments earlier.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that some of the Black Eagles were venturing out onto the ice, trying to sneak up on her men from behind. They were quickly noticed, though, and killed as soon as they reached the barricade. More and more soldiers were braving the ice, however, realizing that it could probably hold their weight. Chu Qiao mentally shrugged and kept holding her place beside Yuwen Yue, knowing that there was nothing she could do about the situation.

An enemy soldier grabbed her shoulder brace and tried to pull her into his sword. Yuwen Yue was there to save her, however, killing him easily. She tried to pull the shoulder guard back into position, but another soldier, obviously figuring his luck would be better than his comrade's, tried the same thing. He succeeded in pulling the leather guard completely off of her so that it was only attached to her by some leather ties at her belt. Chu Qiao managed to kill the soldier, but he was still holding onto her guard when he died, pulling her downward as he fell. Yuwen Yue severed the leather ties, and she regretfully bade farewell to her armor.

While she knew that the loss of the guard's protection wasn't a good thing, she had to admit that her tired muscles appreciated how much lighter she felt without it. She found her pace picking up, her higher speed making up for the lack of armor. Chu Qiao still continued to tire, however, and she began to despair of being able to hold out much longer.

 _Has all of this fighting and killing really been worthwhile? s_ he asked herself. _True, I did figure out my feelings for Yuwen Yue, but is something as relatively trivial as love worth all of this death and suffering? How many dead Xiulis is a single kiss worth? Would they and their loved ones believe the cost to be acceptable?_

Chu Qiao wryly acknowledged that some of her troops might just be fanatical enough in their respect for her to be willing to lay down their lives for her personal happiness. That thought only served to depress her further as she continued to kill and kill and kill.

 _But it's not like we gained any sort of permanent happiness. We're both going to be dead soon, anyway, so it's not like I'll ever get to find out what being Yuwen Yue's woman would've been like. No,_ she reminded herself forcefully, _only one of us is likely to be dead. Yuwen Yue's going to live._

As if the heavens had decided to respond to her vow, a loud roar sounded from multiple directions. All of the warriors paused instinctively, looking around for the source of the noise. Riding hard from the direction of the main pass was Yuan Song and a familiar-looking woman at the head of a phalanx of Yanbei troops.

* * *

AN: I was originally going to end this chapter with both of them going into the icy lake, but I figured that getting murdered in my bed might decrease my chances of finishing this tale. So now you don't yet get to know the details of how they end up in the icy lake, but you won't have to think about a cliff-hanger all week, either. (Except I just told you about my timeline, so now you'll wonder about the icy lake anyway! Mwahahaha!)

In terms of translated works updates, ddmcmc has finished summarizing another section of the novel: yunshengw dot wordpress dot com/2017/10/04/princess-agents-novel-recap-vol-v-part-9/

This week's musical selection is actually the first song by Svrcina I ever heard, "Meet Me on the Battlefield." As is often the case, I prefer the acoustic version, but the original is fine, too. Bonus spoiler: Since I had originally planned to end this chapter with the two of them going into the icy lake, I found the chorus highly appropriate for the circumstances surrounding our OTP's icy descent.


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Yeah, right. You're not going to read this. Go read the icy lake good stuff and then we'll talk at the bottom. Enjoy.

* * *

Yuan Song was glad that his horse was battle-trained enough to nimbly navigate the corpse-strewn pathway that led to the small group of Xiulis and friends he'd come to save. A'Chu and Yuwen Yue were fighting side by side, matching swords faintly glittering in the weak sunlight of Xiuli Mountain. He made no objection as the troops around him yelled loudly, figuring that attracting the attention of the enemy as quickly as possible would likely be a wise decision this time.

"For Chu Da Ren!" many cried out, swords raised.

"For Yanbei!" others called out defiantly.

"For Young Master Yue!" the Yue guards yelled across from him as they led the group of troops they'd brought through the back pass.

The rest of them just yelled as loud as they could, apparently deciding to let their swords do their talking for them.

The enemy kept turning around in confusion, obviously having trouble deciding which new threat to attack. Screams from above added further to the chaos as the forces that had gone up and over the mountain finally arrived on the ridges to help the beleaguered troops stationed there. He also caught a glimpse of the Liang princess, who was once again fighting with an enraged Xia Chong.

Yuan Song blinked his eyes in confusion as he thought he saw Xia Chong form ice shards from the snow and send them hurtling at the princess _with her mind._ He knew that that was impossible, however, so he simply assumed that she'd kicked or thrown snow at the Liang princess in an attempt to distract her and his eyes had deceived him.

He had no more time for reflection as the disorganized charge of the enemy met him and his group. Meng Feng, of course, was out in front and to his right, already engaging those who had come after him. She'd been magnificent all day long, obviously taking his safety and protection seriously. He knew that she was probably more injured than she was letting on, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't worried about her. Yet here his woman was, still fighting fiercely and effectively at his side.

 _My woman?_ he thought, his eyes widening as he lashed out with a boot and kicked an approaching soldier in the head. _Where did that thought come from?_

 _Where do you think it came from, idiot?_ his mind answered for him. He mentally shrugged, not really caring where the thought had originated since it was obviously true—or, at least, it hopefully would become true in the near future.

 _I need to find the courage to ask her to marry me before she decides that she's obligated to go back to Qing Shan Yuan with Yuwen Yue out of a sense of duty—or before any of these soldiers get any ideas._

Yuan Song knew that such thoughts were ludicrous given the circumstances, but even as he gutted a man who had charged at his horse's left side, he admitted to himself that he simply wasn't made for causing bloodshed. His friends had taught him how to fight, and given that he was still alive, he was obviously good enough at making war to get by.

 _But this will never be who I am,_ he acknowledged, holding on as his horse reared to avoid falling victim to a spear attack. _I would much rather think about making Meng Feng my wife than about the various ways of sending a man to the afterlife._

He watched A'Chu and Yuwen Yue continue to weave their deadly tapestry of destruction with their blades and bodies, obviously in their element. In fact, he'd never seen Yuwen Yue look so fierce and disheveled, and A'Chu...well…

 _She's always looked at home on a battlefield_ , _even from the first time I saw her,_ he thought, watching her killing men in the blink of an eye and moving on to the next man—the next target—before the last one even hit the ground. _And yet I can't help but feel that, given the chance, she could become someone else, someone who...But will she ever get the chance?_

Caught between two forces on multiple fronts, the enemy began to falter once again. Xiulis and Yuan Song's rag-tag forces alike noticed and gave a loud roar of approval.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!" they shouted to the heavens, increasing the ferocity of their attack.

 _She'll get the chance if I have anything to say about it,_ Yuan Song thought, his eyes catching Meng Feng's for a moment as they pressed ever forward towards their friends. _We all will._

* * *

As the still-sizable enemy army began to feel the effects of being beset on all sides, Yuwen Yue began to feel even more hope that he and Xing'er would survive today after all. He'd had his doubts just as he knew his woman had, yet here they were, doing their part—more than their part, frankly—in order to overcome this final obstacle between them and happiness.

Yuwen Yue had never expected to experience the feeling of seeing his family legend not only brought to life but enhanced. As courageous as his female ancestor had been, her beloved had likely never had the visceral satisfaction of watching her wield his sword in combat. To be standing here next to his own beloved as he wielded the sword he'd given her so long ago, the sword that had recently been warmed by her hands...He couldn't bring himself to regret anything about his current circumstances other than the fact that he might not survive them.

 _Even though she's never said the words, I know she loves me,_ Yuwen Yue thought as he continued to fight with Can Hong Jian. _I sense it in her eyes, in her actions, in the way her lips moved over mine...Her heart is mine. Her sword is mine. She is mine. No words are needed to affirm those truths._

His eyes connected with Xing'er's, and the emotions he saw in them staggered him. She was obviously being affected by wielding Po Yue Jian—bells and all—as much as he'd been impacted by watching her do so. The bells tinkled softly once again, reminding him of what he was fighting for. Another shift in the enemy forces disrupted his pleasant musings that had been so out of place on the battlefield but so right at the same time.

The enemy grew desperate, surging towards the barricade and its few beleaguered defenders rather than facing the hundreds of charging troops bearing down on them. Before he could even blink, he, Xing'er, and the Xiulis found themselves hopping the back side of the barricade and scrambling out onto the icy lake in order to avoid the frenzied crush of panicked troops that had overrun their battlements.

He made sure to stay by Xing'er's side, the hope he'd felt earlier evaporating almost completely away. Yuwen Yue knew that the ice would crack under the weight of so many people fighting and dying on its surface. Given his illness, if he went into the water…

 _None of that matters,_ he thought as he started hacking his way through the enemy, trying desperately to make a way back to shore for himself and Xing'er. _All that matters is that Xing'er lives on._

The ice held up to the hits impacting its surface for a while, but eventually, Yuwen Yue's sensitive hearing began to pick up myriad cracks and splits forming as a result of the carnage happening all around them. No matter which direction in which he and Xing'er tried to fight, they couldn't get off of the lake.

Finally, a section of the ice near them buckled under the weight of the living and the dead, not discriminating in terms of which type of man it sent sliding into the freezing abyss. Yells and screams rang out as some cried out for retreat. Others continued fighting, however, either unwilling or unable to reach the relative safety of the shoreline.

Another segment of ice broke off even closer to them, causing Yuwen Yue to redouble his efforts to get his woman back to the shore. Yuwen Yue swore that he could already feel the cold of the ice and the water below it leaching the strength from his body. The heavens themselves, which had seemed to smile on them when his friends and their allies had shown up, almost seemed to have turned against them.

The icy surface on which he and Xing'er were fighting suddenly broke off; only their training and reflexes saved them from going into the icy water less than a footstep behind them. More men were retreating to the shore, deciding to take a chance with the Yue guards and Yanbei troops rather than to face the horrors of drowning and freezing. As the ice continued to splinter all around them and cause more men to sink to their deaths, Yuwen Yue acknowledged the truth to himself.

 _I can tell myself whatever I want, but I'll always regret that I never got to hear her tell me she loves me—and that I never told her how much I love her. And now…_

The loud crack beneath them warned them a split second before the place where they'd just stepped turned to crumbling shards.

"Yuwen Yue!" the woman he loved cried out as she managed to stagger forward while he slid backwards towards the dark, cold waters.

She turned her back on the approaching enemy, grabbed a handful of his bedraggled black robes, and pulled him towards her; he stumbled into her but didn't fall into the icy lake. His beloved turned back around just in time to gut the soldier who'd been charging at them.

As if he were caught in a dream, his eyes lifted up to a ridge on which he saw the unmistakable outline of Xiao Yu. She held a bow in her hands and had nocked a single arrow against its string. Aiming it straight at him, she drew the bowstring back and let the arrow fly. He knew he'd likely be unable to evade the arrow given his circumstances, so he'd already begun to raise Can Hong Jian when he saw Xing'er pull her sword from the soldier's chest and instinctively shift towards himself.

* * *

Chu Qiao hadn't gotten a chance to look up at the ridge, but she'd seen the way Yuwen Yue had reacted and had heard the distinctive sound of an arrow hurtling at top speed towards a target. She'd instinctively stepped in front of Yuwen Yue just as she'd done ever since she'd just been his silver bell.

Po Yue Jian swept around and up almost of its own volition as she trusted her instincts to put her beloved's blade in the necessary position to save them both. Maybe she was too tired. Maybe she was too wounded. Maybe Yuwen Yue's sword was too unfamiliar. Maybe she was simply too slow, too incompetent.

Regardless of the specific reason why, she somehow missed the arrow, and her body cried out in agony as the arrowhead tore into her chest and burst out through her back. Chu Qiao's pain doubled, however, as she sensed the arrow piercing Yuwen Yue's chest, too, as its shaft went almost all the way through her.

Although she knew that the man she loved must've been hurting as terribly as she was, her name was what he cried out in torment as the force of the arrow propelled them both backwards and into the icy lake.

* * *

Xiao Yu smirked in triumph as she watched two of her most hated adversaries windmill backwards into the frozen waters behind them, their precious matching swords flying out of their hands and sinking with them into the depths. The cries of agony and dismay from their allies were as pleasing to her ears as music from a well-played zither. Even from where she'd been standing, the princess had been able to tell from body language and tone of voice that Yuwen Yue and Chu Qiao had developed strong feelings for each other.

 _You chose Luo He's daughter over me, Yuwen Yue, and now the heavens have used me to condemn you for your foolishness by allowing me to take you both down together._

She hadn't meant to hit Chu Qiao on that first shot; Xiao Yu had assumed she'd have to shoot her separately. Being far away from the battle—and thus Yuwen Yue—had given her the emotional distance that she'd needed in order to be able to do what she should've done in the forest a few nights ago.

 _Even If I do nothing else today, at least I've managed to kill you two_ ,she thought, hearing a tell-tale shuffling behind her seconds before an icy barrage slammed into her back.

Xiao Yu whirled around to confront Xia Chong, who seemed to have recovered somewhat from the kick to the head that the princess had landed on her former prisoner. The strike had stunned her combatant long enough for Xiao Yu to dash to the edge of the ridge, pick up the bow a soldier had abandoned in the fight, and shoot off an arrow. Xiao Yu could tell that victory would soon be at hand, however, as her opponent was clearly on her last legs.

Xia Chong snarled at her and launched another attack, this time managing to impale Xiao Yu's left arm with an ice shard. Xiao Yu sneered at the other woman and went on the offensive, using the flexibility of her sword and the skill of her footwork to back her opponent near the tree line. Her eyes landed on the sort of tree she was looking for, and she hid her smirk of triumph as she suddenly lashed out with her boot and caught Xia Chong again, this time in the midsection.

Just as Xiao Yu had planned, her enemy crashed into the trunk of the tree, impaling herself on the jagged stub sticking out from it that the princess had seen. Xia Chong groaned in agony before sliding off of the now-bloody wooden outthrust that had served Xiao Yu well.

A light patter of footsteps crackled on the snowy forest floor behind her as what sounded like a young Yanbei soldier charged towards her from behind a tree. Xiao Yu rolled her eyes as she imagined the upraised sword that the idiot would likely be holding in a completely ineffectual manner. She'd dispatched numerous such morons today and didn't mind killing one more.

Without any warning, Xiao Yu whirled around and thrust her sword out towards the soldier, the agony that suddenly pulsed through her chest taking her by complete surprise. She finished her own strike out of spite and instinct, her confusion increasing as the little fool made no attempt whatsoever to avoid getting run through. The soldier's cry was more effeminate than it should've been, and Xiao Yu was shocked to discover the identity of her killer as they both crashed to the snow-covered ground.

* * *

The pain that pulsed through Chun'er's midsection was nothing compared to the savage joy that she felt as she completed her vengeance. As she felt her life slipping away, she relished the prospect of joining her loved ones in the afterlife. She had no regrets, no more goals, and nothing more to do beyond explaining her actions to her final kill.

"I took your advice, Princess Xiao Yu," Chun'er said bitterly, blood seeping from the corners of her mouth. "While I didn't recognize you in the inn, I knew that you, like me, were not who you were pretending to be. So I waited for you. I followed you. I figured out your plans. I acted."

"You stupid little fool," Xiao Yu rasped, her hatred evident in her baleful glare.

"Everyone's always thought so," Chun'er said conversationally. "Stupid, naive, feather-headed, flighty little Chun'er. What could she possibly accomplish? Yet all of my enemies—all of the people responsible for my suffering—are dead. Yan Xun's dead. Yuwen Yue's dead. Chu Qiao's dead. My father and the rest of the rebels are as good as dead. And now you're dead, and soon, I'll be dead."

"You're mad."

"You're probably right," Chun'er said, smiling manically. "The events that _you_ set in motion likely drove me that way. I didn't know who you were at first, but when I found out, I knew you'd be my last kill—besides myself, of course."

"H-how did you..."

"I disguised myself as a soldier, followed you to Xiuli Mountain, stayed out of trouble, and climbed up the side of the mountain after you and the other woman left," Chun'er explained. "It was way too easy, really. Nobody ever seems to look beneath the surface these days, even the vaunted head spy of Liang. You expected to encounter a feckless soldier boy, so that's what I gave you. I always was a good actress—and a good shot."

"Why did you wait?"

Chun'er had to admire the princess for being able to last so long; she had, of course, hit the center of her target.

"Why wouldn't I wait? I might come across as spoiled and demanding, but I've grown up a lot recently. Why would I care if Xia Chong or anyone else killed you instead of me? Besides, I figured that maybe you'd find a way to finish off my other enemies—and I was right, judging by the names those soldiers cried out down there. Thank you for killing Yuwen Yue and Chu Qiao, by the way. That really simplified my task today."

"G-glad to be of service," Xiao Yu rasped sardonically before her breath finally rattled in her chest for the last time.

"You died well, Xiao Yu," Chun'er said, nodding magnanimously. "You truly were a credit to your homeland and your station."

Chun'er allowed herself to slump over the princess, not caring that she was further impaling herself on the princess's odd blade since she was beyond feeling anything anyway. The position seemed right somehow, as if she were offering up her own life in exchange for achieving her vengeance.

"F-finally," Chun'er whispered as she breathed her last, her blissful smile never leaving her face.

* * *

As Chu Qiao pushed off of Yuwen Yue's upper thighs with her feet, she almost passed out as the rough wooden shaft and its fletching tore through her body. All that mattered to her, however, was that she'd managed to free herself from the arrow that had impaled both of them. She could tell that her injuries would likely be fatal, but she knew that Yuwen Yue's would probably heal given time.

Envisioning Yuwen Yue pulling the arrow from his chest and swimming for the surface, Chu Qiao felt at peace as she sank deeper and deeper into the icy lake. A soft touch at her waist startled her out of her stupor and filled her with horror as she realized that Yuwen Yue was trying to save her instead of escaping with his life. She tried to pull his hands off of her, but they tightened around her instead, and his touch was the last thing she felt before she lost consciousness.

A rush of energy brought her back awake with searing clarity as both her memories and the Feng Yun Ling began to return to her. She could feel the tattoo reforming on her back, knitting together the arrow-torn skin beneath it. Not only did Chu Qiao now remember how to control her abilities, but she also knew how passionately she hated both the Eyes of God and the Yuwens. The memories of her old life battled with those she'd made since the human hunt, but her love for Yuwen Yue easily vanquished the protests of the person she'd been before falling into the river.

 _How typical of me to be able to realize the depths of my love for Yuwen Yue only when measured against my former hatred of him—especially at the end of my life,_ Chu Qiao acknowledged as she turned around to face her beloved, whose hands had fallen away from her and now hung loosely at his sides.

While she understood that her own death was imminent, she shoved aside the emotional ramifications of that knowledge in order to save the life of the man she loved. Chu Qiao used an Ice Martial Arts technique to swiftly form a cylinder of air from their waists all the way to the surface. She then flushed the water from both her own lungs and Yuwen Yue's.

As her beloved gasped for breath, Chu Qiao partially froze the worst wounds in her chest. She knew that this would do tremendous damage to the inside of her body and would kill her if she kept her wounds frozen for long, but since she knew she didn't have much time left anyway, she didn't care. All that mattered to her was that this technique would numb the pain and stop the bleeding enough for her to be able to fight at the side of the man she loved one last time.

Chu Qiao formed a rough slab of ice beneath their feet that she kept aloft through her Ice Martial Arts abilities, knowing she'd need the leverage to carry out the rest of her plan. She kept the water around their waists and legs, though, knowing that she'd require its extra support a little while longer. Yuwen Yue's eyes fluttered a few times, but he was clearly not conscious enough to support himself yet. Given what she had to do next, Chu Qiao figured that a lack of clarity on his part might not be a bad thing.

As she reached for the shaft of the arrow embedded in Yuwen Yue's chest, his bloodshot eyes blinked open and met hers. She saw him frown in confusion as he was obviously unsure of what to make of the new, unfamiliar depths he saw in her eyes. Chu Qiao watched comprehension dawn on him, however, and her heart gave a lurch as she saw fear form in his eyes. This was not fear _for_ her as she'd sometimes seen in his gaze, though; this was fear _of_ her, of who he now knew her to be.

"Ch—Chu Qiao?" he managed to rasp from between his bloody, frozen lips.

Compassion filled her heart for the man she loved, the man who was now likely more unsure of her feelings for him than he'd ever been before. She shook her head slowly, doing her best to express her love for him in her eyes.

"No," she said softly, raising her left hand to his cheek. "I'm not Chu Qiao—not for you, anyway. For you, I'll always be Xing'er."

The raw emotion in his gaze almost brought her to her knees, so she went through with the rest of her plan before she could become distracted by her beloved. Her left hand stayed on his cheek, but her right hand grasped the shaft sticking out of his chest and pulled hard even as she kissed his lips. She swallowed his scream and quickly sealed his gaping wound as she had hers, knowing that he wouldn't care about the scar it would leave as long as he got to live—and he was going to live.

Having succeeded in temporarily healing him physically, she moved her lips over his again, this time passing the bulk of the knowledge of her Ice Martial Arts techniques to him as quickly and painlessly as possible. She remembered how much the awakening of her own abilities as a child had hurt, but Yuwen Yue was a grown man in his prime who already possessed significant inner powers of his own. He was well-equipped to handle the influx of power and ability she'd just given him—the power that he'd hopefully be able to use to save himself and the lives of their people.

Chu Qiao broke the kiss, pulled back, and swayed, thankful for the water at her waist that kept her on her feet. She quickly sent it flowing away from both of them, however, conscious of how little time they had remaining. Yuwen Yue almost toppled over, but his new abilities and his old stubbornness seemed to be helping him to stay upright. He reached out for her waist and pulled her closer, steadying them both as his eyes examined hers for answers to multiple questions.

"I just gave you most of my Ice Martial Arts abilities," she explained to him softly. "I don't have much time left, but I've frozen our wounds over and will now take us back to the surface of the icy lake with the small amount of power I've kept. I'll fight at your side as long as I can, and then when I feel like I'm nearing the end, I'll give you the rest of my abilities so that you'll be able to win the battle and live."

"No, X'er," Yuwen Yue rasped, holding her as tightly as he dared given her wounds. "Take your abilities back. I don't need them as much as you do. You have to survive. You have to live on with me."

Chu Qiao smiled sadly at the man she loved as she began to power the water beneath them more forcefully, causing the roiling waters to begin pushing their icy platform to the surface of the lake. She concentrated with all of her might, having to work much harder than she had earlier in order to keep the ice beneath their feet firm and the water away from them.

"I know how badly I'm hurt, Yuwen Yue," she said, placing her hand on his cheek again. "There's nothing you can do to save me."

"I'll find a way," he vowed, tears in his eyes that he didn't even seem to notice. "I promise I'll find a way, X'er. I always have, and I always will. You have to stay with me. Promise you'll stay with me, X'er."

"I promise," Chu Qiao said, her own tears tracing hot tracks down her cold cheeks. "I'll stay with you till death."

"No, X'er," he said firmly, his arms convulsing around her waist. "Not till death. For life."

"Yes," she said, smiling through the tears as she placed her free hand on his other cheek and gazed into his eyes. "For the rest of my life."

Yuwen Yue's eyes filled with fire as he pulled her into a passionate embrace and pressed his mouth firmly and fiercely to hers. This was no tender commitment kiss like the one they'd shared back at the cave; this was the desperate, burning kiss of a man who had been given his heart's desire only to face the distinct possibility of its imminent loss. Chu Qiao matched his ardor with her own, putting all of the love and need that she felt for him into that single, frantic kiss.

He broke away, panting as his darkened eyes bored intensely into her own.

"I'm going to hold you to that, X'er," he vowed. "I'm going to hold you to that, and I'm going to find a way to save you—but you have to stay with me."

"Mm," Chu Qiao agreed, dipping her head once.

She knew that the odds of her survival were slim, yet she was not going to overtly deny her beloved anything this close to her death. Chu Qiao had realized the fundamental truth that if Yuwen Yue was going to have the proper mentality to survive the rest of this battle, then he was going to have to believe that he could save her.

 _He's also going to have to have his sword, you idiot,_ her mind reminded her.

Summoning what was left of her abilities, she swirled the waters around where she knew Po Yue Jian had likely landed after it had flown out of her hand upon impact. She brought it to herself, clasped its handle, and held it out towards Yuwen Yue. His eyes filled with tears again as he took his sword from her hands, its bells tinkling in spite of the wetness still coating them.

Chu Qiao looked at him expectantly, and she saw him turn that magnificent mind of his towards the task of finding Can Hong Jian. While he took longer to retrieve his target than she had, he eventually succeeded in bringing his sword's mate to his hand. He held it out to her, that potent expression she loved so much on his face. She put as much love into her own gaze as she could as she accepted her half of the whole.

At least she'd managed to return his sword to him, and her own would hopefully be easy for him to collect when the time came. They were nearing the surface, and she reflected calmly that she'd managed to meet her goal of giving him everything she could.

 _Not everything,_ she admitted as she acknowledged that, once again, she'd made a decision based off of her own desire for self-protection rather than Yuwen Yue's wants.

"Yuwen Yue," she said, placing her free hand against his cheek and looking into his eyes. "I love you."

The stars that lit up his eyes surely rivaled whatever brightness he'd ever seen in hers as a fresh pair of tears rolled down his cheeks. He closed his eyes in what she could tell was both pleasure and pain as he pulled her close to him again.

"I love you, too, X'er," he whispered before he pressed his lips to hers again.

This kiss was bittersweet and full of longing, and part of her tried to tell the rest of her that she'd been wrong to cause him this level of pain. Yet as her beloved deepened the kiss, she acknowledged that he likely believed that the hurt that their approaching separation would cause was a small price to pay for the joy he felt after hearing her declaration of love.

The man she loved pulled back from her just before they broke the surface, his eyes aflame with myriad plans for a future with her that she knew would never exist. His face went cold as his eyes burned hot, and he began to form ramparts and a slab of ice around the hole from which they would emerge.

Chu Qiao watched in awe as her beloved learned to use her Ice Martial Arts abilities right before her eyes, seeming to master effortlessly techniques that she had required years to learn. She knew that Yuwen Yue would someday achieve sufficient mastery of Ice Martial Arts to cause a red spider lily tattoo to form on his back that would match hers.

 _What might this man and I have accomplished together had we both managed to survive the day?_

She had no time to ponder the answer to her question as their platform finally brought them all the way out of the icy lake, seamlessly sealing itself as one with the rest of the icy battlements that Yuwen Yue had formed with his incredible mind, Ice Martial Arts techniques, and the water around them. They both settled into a fighting stance near one another, swords at the ready and powers as focused as possible.

"Remember, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said, his eyes meeting hers one last time. "You promised to stay with me for the rest of your life."

"I remember," Chu Qiao said, her face hardening to match her beloved's and a flame lighting in her own eyes.

* * *

The emotional whiplash that Yue Qi and his allies had recently experienced had been almost as tiring as fighting the battle itself. All of the events that had led to the frenetic charge towards their friends had all taken their toll, but nothing had hurt worse than watching his master and Xing'er get shot and fall into the icy lake.

Deep down, Yue Qi had never believed that Xing'er would ever return his master's love. He had felt that there had simply been too much history, too many misunderstandings, and too many competing responsibilities between them for her to ever express her love for him. And yet, he could tell from the way they were interacting with one another that the improbable had happened and that Xing'er was now in love with the master.

To come to the realization that his master had succeeded at long last in achieving his heart's desire only to have it so cruelly ripped away had taken its toll on him and his allies. He Xiao had howled in anguish and had somehow managed to fight even more savagely than he had been fighting previously. Meng Feng had also cried out, although she'd managed to hold onto her temper and stay, as always, at Yuan Song's right side. The prince had also looked crestfallen but had continued to pull his weight, fighting as hard as he could.

The first sign that all was not normal had been the sudden opening up of a hole in the center of the lake. Ripples had eventually reached the surface of the water in other areas, and small waves had licked at the shoreline. Both sides had fought on, but all had seemed wary of the hole that led down to the darkness of the depths.

A soldier had screamed in terror as he'd noticed first an icy platform and then what looked like walls forming on their own around the open hole in the lake. The entire battle had stopped, all of them clearly uncertain about what new threat was emerging from the frozen waters. They'd all watched in awe as the walls had slowly formed into ramparts that would provide both protection from the enemy and convenient firing locations.

When Yue Qi had recognized his master and Xing'er as their heads had become visible through part of the ramparts, he'd let out a triumphant yell that had been echoed by the rest of their allies. Granted, Yue Qi had gotten stabbed in the side because he hadn't been paying attention to the enemies around himself, but at least Young Master Yue and the woman he loved had survived against the odds.

Now he was fighting frantically to kill all of their enemies and to reach the shores of the icy lake so that he could be prepared to take his proper place at his master's side. Yue Qi figured that He Xiao's goal was roughly the same in regards to Xing'er, and he somehow found himself fighting at the side of the fiercely-grinning warrior who was covered with the blood of untold numbers of men.

Without explanation, a hail of ice shards suddenly lanced out at the enemy from nowhere, causing terror to befall the battlefield. He had no idea what was happening, either, until he saw his master and Xing'er wave their swords before ice shards materialized on their own from the lake itself and impaled themselves in their enemies. As shocked as Yue Qi was to see Young Master Yue and Xing'er wielding such power, he still managed to keep his wits about him and continued fighting his way to the shores of the icy lake.

* * *

While Yuwen Yue had derived a great deal of satisfaction from watching Xing'er fight with Po Yue Jian, the fire currently burning just beneath the surface of his skin made those previous feelings pale in comparison. The power of Xing'er's Ice Martial Arts abilities pulsed through him, giving him the means to fight as he'd never been able to fight before. Even his crude, untrained actions were resulting in numerous casualties at the shoreline and keeping the battle at a stalemate as his people continued to fight hard.

The cold fire that was powering him, however, couldn't be solely attributed to Ice Martial Arts abilities that Xing'er had given him. No, he believed that much of the energy that was keeping him going was coming from the memories of his beloved's kisses and words.

 _How many times have I dreamed of hearing her say she loves me, of having her kiss me passionately, and of having her promise to spend the rest of her life at my side?_ Yuwen Yue mused as he formed another set of ice shards from the water and sent them on their way towards the shore.

Xing'er was contenting herself with transforming existing ice into shards because doing so was easier. She was causing quite a bit of damage, but Yuwen Yue could tell that the woman he loved was weakening.

 _No, she's merely tiring,_ he stubbornly thought, refusing to acknowledge the possibility that he would soon lose his beloved.

He doubled his efforts, spraying the enemy with relentless, merciless bursts of ice shards. Yuwen Yue's own stamina was fading, however, the effects of the icy lake, the battle, his chest wound, and the wielding of unfamiliar martial arts techniques sapping his strength. Although he continued to fight fiercely, he was forced to acknowledge that, even though he could feel the ability to control the Ice Martial Arts techniques within him, his own power stores and body would soon be unequal to the task.

His beloved exploded another ice sheet at the enemy before slumping down behind the ramparts and landing in a heap at their base.

"X'er!" he cried out, abandoning his post to run to the woman he loved.

"No!" she said, pushing him away. "You have to save them! You have to live on!"

"Not without you, X'er," he rasped, placing a hand tenderly on her cheek. "You promised, remember?"

"So I did," Xing'er said, pulling a small packet from her robes and unwrapping it to reveal a handful of darts.

"What are you-?"

"What does it look like?" she said saucily, using a little of her abilities to knock a small hole through the bottom of their battlements.

"You're hungry so you're going fishing with your darts?" Yuwen Yue said, trying to lighten the moment.

"Almost," she said, drawing a small amount of water up from the hole and shaping it around one of the darts before freezing it. " _You're_ going fishing with my darts."

She proudly handed Yuwen Yue a crude ice arrow, her eyes shining brightly with that defiant spirit he loved so much. He took it from her wordlessly, his eyes conveying his feelings for his woman as he pulled out his special crossbow, fitted the ice arrow into it, and fired it into the mob of enemy soldiers on the shore.

The whoosh and boom the arrow caused put a malicious smile on his beloved's face as she continued forming ice arrows from scratch. Yuwen Yue noticed that Xing'er had started to somehow freeze ice shards within the ice arrows themselves, and he mentally shuddered at what those might do upon impact.

He shot one of her modified ice arrows at a clump of soldiers that was about to overrun He Xiao and Yue Qi, and the resulting explosion and carnage caused yells of different tones to go up from friend and foe alike. Yuwen Yue kept firing the arrows as fast as his beloved could make them, knowing that she'd soon exhaust her supply of darts and her energy. The arrows were making a difference, though, and giving him a much-needed break from using Ice Martial Arts techniques.

To his dismay, the remains of the enemy forces grew desperate again and charged the line, succeeding in pushing his people back into the trees and out of his line of fire. Yuwen Yue looked over at Xing'er, whose eyes were starting to glaze over. He put his mind to the task of causing the water to propel their floating fortress towards the shore so that they could rejoin the battle.

There was no reason that he had to remain standing while he did so, however, so he sat down beside Xing'er and pulled her carefully into his lap. They looked into each other's eyes for a few moments, Xing'er's expressing sadness and apology.

"Why did I run from you, Yuwen Yue?" she whispered weakly. "I still ended up being a spy of sacrifice anyway, and I came to realize that there are far worse fates than dying for the ones you love."

His arms convulsed around her as more tears traced themselves down his cheeks.

"You are _not_ going to die for me or anyone else, X'er," he said fiercely, scowling down at her. "We're going to win, and I'm going to take you home. Or we'll go somewhere else if you want, remember? I told you I'd take you anywhere, and I meant it. Just stay with me, X'er. You promised."

Yuwen Yue knew he was babbling, and he was glad that nobody else was around to see him this way. His beloved had closed her eyes in misery and was leaning her head against his right shoulder away from his own chest wound.

"Sorry, Yuwen Yue," she whispered faintly, appearing to grow weaker by the second. "So s-sorry. N-need to give you the rest of my abilities..."

"No, X'er..."

"I...I love you...so much. S-sorry I didn't get…to tell you more..."

"You'll have plenty of time—the rest of our lives, in fact."

"Yes...the rest of my life...love you..."

"I love you, too, X'er. Stay with me. You promised you'd stay with me."

His beloved was silent, however, and Yuwen Yue could feel her slipping away, could sense his world ending. She stirred feebly and grasped his hand, frowning in concentration as if she were trying to do something difficult but not succeeding.

As they drew near to the shore, a low but piercing voiced yelled out, "For Luo He's daughter!"

Xin'ger's eyes flew open wide and she looked up at Yuwen Yue, an expression of horror on her face.

* * *

AN: Whew. That icy lake scene in particular has been burning up my brain for weeks, so I'm glad to finally put it up here. I hope it satisfied and lived up to expectations. I'd like to thank my two quality control experts, reallyseaweed and Sey KompungCham, who told me that I needed to ditch a decent bit of the Chu Qiao introspection I'd written into the icy lake scene and to just get to the XingYue good stuff. They were right, and the scene reads much tighter without all of that stuff that was just common sense anyway.

On the Feng Yun Ling: I admit that my comprehension of the Feng Yun Ling is sketchy, but my understanding is that the Feng Yun Ling is the tattoo that forms on the back after one has mastered the Kungfu of Ice, which is the ability to manipulate water in all of its forms. I had originally used the term "Feng Yun Ling" to refer primarily to the ability itself, but after watching Eng-subbed ep 53 when Dong Fang Ji (Mustache Man) and Zhan Zi Yu (Jade Ring Guy) talk, ZZY tells DFJ this distinction, so I changed my own terms accordingly. I also assume that one's ability to wield the Kungfu of Ice would be subjected to one's power level/stamina/current physical condition, etc. and that YWY would not gain a tattoo of his own until he had fully mastered the Kungfu of Ice. Anyone with a better understanding, please feel free to set me straight in the review section and I'll change things again.

[Edit: Fortunately Lilliumscribe took me up on this invitation and gave me her take as a translator on the FYL and what I've been calling the Kungfu of Ice. She says that the term "Kungfu of Ice" would better translate to something like "Ice Martial Arts" (and other terms that wouldn't work as well in English-speaking context), so that's what I've gone with. She says that "technique" is a decent description of the use of the Ice Martial Arts, so I've used that as well. "Tecnique(s)" doesn't always work in context, though, so I've used "abilities" to describe her capacity to use Ice Martial Arts techniques.]

Tentative writing timeline: Next week: the end of the battle and its immediate aftermath. Two weeks away: More triage with characters you may or may not care about. Three weeks away: Awakening. (Which will also be the title of my next story, FYI.) Four weeks away: Some really fabulous hurt/comfort XingYue I can't wait to write and post.

This week's musical selection is "Skyfall" by Adele. That song has long given me CQ/icy lake feels, so I never even considered using anything else. There are plenty of good covers (and you can't go wrong with Adele, of course), but I prefer the Madilyn Bailey one. If rock covers are more your thing, then I like the ones by Our Last Night and Within Temptation.

This week in translations, Angel Chua has written summaries of "Princess Agents" grouped by episodes. She's also begun writing and posting a fanfic called "The Secret Princess." Her website is simply called princess agents dot wordpress dot com, and the newest posts display at the top of the page. Yunsheng has also just posted another novel recap segment on her website, yunshengw dot wordpress dot com.


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Fortunately Lilliumscribe took me up on the invitation in my previous chapter to set me straight about the Feng Yun Ling. She says that the term "Kungfu of Ice" would better translate to something like "Ice Martial Arts" (and other terms that wouldn't work as well in English-speaking context), so that's what I've gone with. She says that "technique" is a decent description of the use of the Ice Martial Arts, so I've used that as well. "Technique(s)" doesn't always work in context, though, so I've used "abilities" to describe her capacity to use Ice Martial Arts techniques. She also pointed out that the writers were often deliberately ambiguous about the nature of the abilities/techniques themselves, so we as writers have a bit of leeway. I'm doing my best to get the terminology right, though, but please bear with me as I have to adjust my way of thinking about CQ's abilities when I write. (Well, in regards to the immediate plot, it's too late to adjust anything in regards to CQ's abilities and how lost and found they can be, so y'all will just have to deal.) So everyone go and thank Lillium for actually knowing what she's doing and being willing to help me to get things right for y'all.

Speaking of getting things right, I'm going to horribly mangle medicine in this chapter. In my last story, I mangled the birthing process, and this time, I'm going to mangle...well...you'll see. I've decided that any questions about how the medical processes work in this chapter are going to be answered with "Ice Martial Arts techniques." That's it. That's the answer. It's mysterious. It's deep. It's unknowable—so don't even try. Y'all don't care too much, do you? You just want to see XingYue put everything on the line for each other, right? So here we go—and don't try any of this at home (or anywhere else).

* * *

Chu Qiao had felt herself dying, her life force flowing out of her like the ebbing of the waters she'd recently remembered how to command. She'd been reasonably content to die in the arms of the man she loved, secure in the knowledge that he would use the techniques she'd given him to survive. Her goal had been to give Yuwen Yue the rest of her Ice Martial Arts abilities, but she'd felt too weak to do so.

The battle cry from the trees near the shoreline had jolted her awake and sent a bolt of energy crackling through her. She'd recognized that voice and the implications of its owner's presence, so she'd shakily gotten to her feet with Yuwen Yue's assistance, knowing that she'd have to hold on to life for a little while longer if she were going to save her beloved. After all, these people had come because she'd reached out to them, and she'd promised Yuwen Yue that she'd kill them herself if they posed a threat to him or his people.

As the bodies started raining down from the trees, she knew herself to be unequal to such a task. They fell in the midst of the enemy and simply started shredding them, killing them with the impersonal, efficient ease of the pugilists that they were. Their enemies cried out and tried to flee, but there was nowhere for them to go but back towards the icy lake and the hail of destruction that would rain on them courtesy of Yuwen Yue.

Many of the remaining enemy forces laid down their arms and fell to their knees, begging for mercy. Those who fought to the last man died to the last man, falling before the various weapons wielded by the new-comers or the blades of the original motley alliance of the Xiuli, rebel Yanbei soldiers, Yue guards, and Afterlife Camp assassins.

In what seemed like the blink of an eye, the battle was over. Its survivors stood there in shock, eyes wide at the fearsome appearances of the strange, black-clad warriors in their midst. Their styles of dress varied, but all of them wore the same flat black color of robes that had made them practically invisible in the trees in which they'd presumably been hiding all day.

A tall, rangy woman with sharp features and braided hair stepped forward, boldly approaching the shore as Yuwen Yue propelled their floating fortress the final few feet. Chu Qiao reached out a hand and touched the rampart in front of her, causing a portion of it to simply melt away. She stepped off of the icy platform on unsteady legs, determined to remain upright without any assistance.

Yuwen Yue stayed close at her back, however, the same solid, strong presence behind her that he'd been for so long. While she'd told him firmly that she had to have this conversation with her people on her own, she welcomed his support and love in these last few minutes of her life. She clasped Can Hong Jian's hilt tightly in her right hand, not doing anything to conceal the sword's identity from the woman who was eyeing it with obvious disapproval.

"Phoenix," Chu Qiao said, dipping her head in acknowledgment towards the warrior and scraping together the last of her strength. "Thank you for aiding us in our time of need. You are most welcome."

"Are we?" the woman asked wryly, her eyes pointedly looking at the scared faces surrounding them. "I got the impression from talking with Mister Wu that the Underworld wouldn't be welcome here unless we met some ridiculous conditions."

"If you knew that you couldn't meet these terms that you found so unappealing, then why did you come in the first place?" Chu Qiao asked.

"Were we supposed to just ignore the news that Luo He's daughter had been found?" Phoenix asked. "While Mister Wu didn't give us many details, we were able to easily put the pieces together and discern your identity. We knew that you would never want for us to stop warring against the Eyes of God, so we assumed that you must have been in serious trouble to even suggest such a thing. Obviously we were right."

"Well, I was in trouble," Chu Qiao admitted, "but not for the reasons you thought. And I am serious about ending our feud with the Eyes of God, even if I'm not going to be able to make that happen personally."

"Where will you be?" Phoenix asked. "With _him_?"

"Nowhere so pleasant, I'm afraid," Chu Qiao said coolly, stepping closer so that Phoenix could see the hole in her chest. "But I have transferred the bulk of my knowledge of Ice Martial Arts techniques to him and plan to give him the rest of my abilities before the end so that there will still be a possessor of the Feng Yun Ling."

"How could you do such a thing?" Phoenix said, her voice growing louder by the end. The other Underworld warriors also muttered their dissatisfaction.

"Probably not using the same methods my mother employed on me," Chu Qiao said, an impish smile suddenly blooming on her face.

Phoenix blanched at the implication.

"Had you gotten involved in the battle sooner, perhaps I never would've felt the need to transfer my abilities in the first place."

"And why should we get involved in something before we have to?" Phoenix asked. "Besides, what were we to think of our supposed leader fighting at the side of the enemy, wielding the sword of the enemy, and sharing her techniques with the enemy?"

"'Supposed leader'?" Chu Qiao asked sharply, turning around so that they could see the Feng Yun Ling on her back through her arrow-torn robes. "This makes me your leader, does it not?"

She wobbled unsteadily on her feet due to the suddenness of the motion, and Yuwen Yue instinctively put a hand at her waist to steady her. Chu Qiao could feel the disapproval of Phoenix and the other members of the Underworld beating on her back, but she ignored them as she carved out a brief moment in time for her eyes to connect with those of her beloved. The love and pain she saw in his eyes was likely a mirror of her own as she let her own mask slip for a few seconds.

"I've seen enough," Phoenix said harshly from behind her. "This Yuwen has clearly brought you under his influence somehow, and I intend to see that influence ended."

"You can try," Chu Qiao said, her eyes flashing as she slowly turned back around with the help of Yuwen Yue's steadying hand. "Killing him won't allow me to live, however, or give you a new leader."

"No, but removing him from your life could give you the freedom to make your own choices once you recover."

Chu Qiao smiled humorlessly at the woman, pain flashing through her that she allowed to show in her eyes.

"Thank you, but I tried running away from him already and it didn't work. Those days are behind me. Well, all of my days are behind me anyway since I'm dying, regardless of your denial of that fact. In fact, I need to transfer the knowledge of the rest of my techniques to Yuwen Yue now or else it'll be too late. Don't worry; he'll lead you well. He's the best man I've ever known."

She turned around and placed a hand on his cheek, doing her best to give him the last thing she had left.

"Xing'er-"

"Shh," she said softly, placing her thumb over his lips. "No time…"

A sudden motion at her back broke her concentration before she could give her beloved the rest of her Ice Martial Arts abilities. She and Yuwen Yue were suddenly surrounded by a wall of bristling warriors with their swords drawn.

"Do what you have to do, Chu Da Ren," He Xiao said as he took his place at her side, his figure covered in blood from head to toe. "We won't let anyone harm you."

"Do you really think you could stop us?" Phoenix asked in amusement.

"We do not fear death," He Xiao replied calmly.

"We'll fight to the last man," Yue Qi said, taking his place beside his master.

"And the last woman," Meng Feng said from her nearby spot at Yuan Song's right side.

"Are you really going to allow these people to be slaughtered for you, Chu Qiao? That's not your way."

"Do you really think I could stop them?" Chu Qiao replied faintly as her vision began to gray.

She tried to concentrate on her task once again, but she heard Phoenix move towards her and knew her time was up. Chu Qiao broke free of Yuwen Yue's grasp with regret and got Can Hong Jian up as quickly as she could.

"X'er!" Yuwen Yue cried from behind her, forcing his way in front of her with Po Yue Jian at the ready.

 _I love it when he says my name like that,_ Chu Qiao thought hazily as she prepared to defend her people one last time.

"I won't let you sacrifice the Underworld to the Eyes of God and the Yuwens because of your personal feelings," Phoenix said, striding forward. "Let me take care of him once and for all, and then the Eyes of God will be finished for good. The Underworld can ascend, and none will be able to stand before us—especially with you at our head, Chu Qiao."

"I've heard that 'we can conquer the world together' argument before, Phoenix, and turning my back on it and its maker was the best thing I ever did—even if doing so brought me here to my death. My last order to you is to work together with the Eyes of God under Yuwen Yue's leadership to make peace and to end this pointless feud. If you can't abide by that, then you need to just admit that you're staging a coup and get on with it because I'm almost out of time."

"I do not seek leadership for myself!" Phoenix said indignantly. "I merely want to free our true leader from the influence of the Yuwens before it's too late."

"Don't worry," Chu Qiao said, smiling faintly. "I killed all the worst Yuwens and left the only good one of the entire family alive."

"Except for your father, Yuwen Yue," she added as an aside to the man she loved. "Has he treated you well? Should I have found a way to kill him, too?"

"Xing'er," Yuwen Yue whispered in exasperation.

"Sorry," she whispered back. "You're right. No time..."

Phoenix moved with no warning, and Chu Qiao acted instinctively, sending out a pulse of pure energy that blasted the Underworld's would-be leader at least ten feet away from them. Chu Qiao almost blacked out, but she somehow managed to stay on her feet.

 _I'm too weak to give him my abilities now, but I can give him one more thing with my dying breath._

"This is the man I love!" Chu Qiao yelled loudly enough for everyone left on the battlefield to hear. "If you can't accept that, then you need to leave."

Her vision tunneled, and the ground rose up to meet her as she knew no more.

* * *

"X'er!" Yuwen Yue cried as his beloved suddenly lost consciousness and fell to the ground.

He shoved their matching swords safely out of the way and fell to his knees before Xing'er, tears rolling down his cheeks that he couldn't have stopped if he'd have had the energy to try. Ever so gently, he gathered her in his arms and pulled her into his lap.

"No, X'er, you promised me," he whispered brokenly. "Stay with me, X'er. Get up."

Yuwen Yue heard others crying out in dismay, but their voices all sounded far away and distorted. They didn't matter. Wei didn't matter. Yanbei didn't matter. Nothing and nobody else mattered except the woman who lay dying in his arms.

She was dying, and he was finally forced to admit that truth. His hands clenched and unclenched around her as if they were looking for something, anything, to do. He knew there was nothing. As far as he knew, the Ice Martial Arts techniques could do nothing for him. His own breadth of knowledge could do nothing for him. Nobody could do anything for him—or for her.

A sob wrenched its way from deep within him and he tried to find the means to care, to feel ashamed that all of these people were watching the Ice Cube shatter as if he were one of Xing'er's ice arrows fired at the enemy. He didn't care.

Yuwen Yue pulled his beloved up higher in his lap, resting his chin on her head as he'd done after he'd saved her from Chun'er's wrath. He clung to her as her breathing began to slow, as her skin began to grow colder, and as she slumped more and more against him.

"No," he grated out. "No, X'er...You can't. You promised you'd stay with me. Here...let me..."

He pulled out their handkerchief and pressed it against her chest as if that could somehow keep her lifeblood from slowly draining away. It was soaked through in an instant, but he pressed it to the wound anyway, because at least he was _doing something._

"There is a way I might be able to save her, Yuwen," Phoenix said, towering over him. "But you won't be willing to do it."

Yuwen Yue looked up at her, confusion, hope, and suspicion warring within.

"What do I have to do?"

"Luo He was a smart woman, but she didn't have much spare time," Phoenix said conversationally. "When she did have time, however, she, Mister Wu, and I worked together to try to find practical applications for Ice Martial Arts techniques that could be used by ordinary people in the field. Sadly, most of the techniques she developed could only be carried out by a master of Ice Martial Arts, but I once watched her do something that I could probably replicate—with a bit of assistance, of course."

"What do I have to do?" Yuwen Yue repeated impatiently.

"It's simple, really," Phoenix replied. "If you give me the Ice Martial Arts abilities, I can freeze and thaw certain parts of Chu Qiao at various times to keep her from bleeding out while Wu Daoya repairs what damage within her that he can. She'll be badly scarred, of course, but nobody in our line of work cares about such superficial details anyway."

"So you take all of my power and abilities, leave me defenseless, kill all of my people, and let Chu Qiao die so that you can officially take over the Underworld for yourself," Yuwen Yue said wryly. "That sounds like a great plan worthy of the Underworld."

"Typical arrogant Yuwen," Phoenix spat in contempt. "I knew you wouldn't be willing to give up all of that power—especially for the leader of the Underworld."

"I would do anything for the woman I love," Yuwen Yue said. "Anything. I don't care about the power, but I do care about my people."

"How sweet of you," Phoenix said dismissively. "That's my offer. Take it or leave it. Either way, you'd better make up your mind; she doesn't have much longer."

Yuwen Yue looked up, his eyes meeting He Xiao's and Yue Qi's. He saw expressions of resignation and understanding on their faces; He Xiao looked especially fierce as he nodded his head once sharply.

Without another word, Yuwen Yue let go of the handkerchief and held his bloody hand out towards Phoenix, his eyes challenging her. He could tell that he'd shocked her into speechlessness, but she took his hand and began to take his newly-gained abilities.

His back arched as he bit back a groan, determined to show this woman, this nominal leader of his hated enemies, as little weakness as possible. Her transfer method was nothing like Xing'er's; in fact, she seemed to enjoy inflicting as much pain on him as possible.

 _Of course, Xing'er's methods likely were a bit unorthodox,_ he mused to himself as he felt the removal of the Ice Martial Arts abilities leaving him a weakened, shaking husk of a man.

Yuwen Yue felt Phoenix dip into his personal reserve of inner power, and he resigned himself to the fate of dying at the hands of the Underworld. He didn't care, though, because there was a chance—albeit a slim one—that by his death, his beloved could live. He'd always been willing to give her everything, after all, and this time was no exception.

Phoenix pulled away from him without a word, not even sparing him a glance as she ordered someone to remove Chu Qiao from his lap and carry her. He looked up to see He Xiao making a point of sheathing both of his blades before removing his own cloak and gently wrapping Xing'er in it. The battered warrior picked up Xing'er as if he were carrying the most precious thing in all the world and told Phoenix that they had a crude infirmary set up not far from where they were.

Wu Daoya appeared as if from nowhere, and they set off at a brisk walk, leaving everyone else behind to either follow them or to start providing triage to the other survivors. Zhong Yu came behind him, her battered appearance making her fit in with the rest of the survivors. He knew that he himself probably looked like death, and that wasn't far from the truth. Of course, if Xing'er were to die today, he wouldn't mind following her into the afterlife.

Yuwen Yue felt multiple hands grasp him under the arms and try to pull him to his feet, but he had no energy to move. He knew he had to do so in order to protect Xing'er, but he also knew that he had nothing left to give her. Without the Ice Martial Arts abilities, his illness was reasserting itself, causing him to slip deeper and deeper into a mental fog.

"Master!" Yue Qi said urgently. "You have to get up, Master!"

 _I know,_ he thought, unable to say the words.

"A'Chu needs you," Zhong Yu said, suddenly standing in front of him.

He blinked, acknowledging to himself that he must've blacked out for a moment—and that Miss Yu was right.

"And Mister Wu needs you," Yuwen Yue whispered. "Okay, so we'll all go, then."

Many hands helped him up, and Yue Qi and Meng Feng provided him with ready support. Both of them gasped upon taking that first step, and he scowled at them, noticing that they both looked seriously injured. He tried to object to their assistance, but Meng Feng silenced him with her typical steady calmness.

"We're all injured, so we all need to go to the infirmary, don't we?"

Yuwen Yue glowered at her, but he couldn't hold his frown for long as he saw the look of fondness that Yuan Song bestowed on her. He looked at her and caught her responding to the young prince in kind, and she looked slightly abashed when she caught Yuwen Yue staring. He gave her a small smile, glad that at least somebody might come out of today with a chance at happiness. They left the battlefield without another word, trudging through the bloody slush past the seemingly endless array of corpses on their way to the infirmary—and Xing'er.

* * *

Every step that Meng Feng took on the mountain trail was agonizing, but she managed to blank her face to the best of her ability. After all, one didn't survive three Afterlife Camp Nirvanas without being able to power through pain. The ax slice that A'Jing had given her was still seeping blood, and she knew that it needed to be cleaned and stitched up. Resources and medics were few, however, and there had been so many who were more seriously wounded than her both inside and outside of the infirmary that she would've felt guilty for asking for help.

 _Not to mention that Yuan Song is determined to do his part to help the wounded on the battlefield—and I need to be there with him,_ Meng Feng admitted.

The injured—especially those of the enemy—could be unpredictable and could lash out in fear or spite. She was unwilling to take any chances with Yuan Song's well-being—especially since they were so close to achieving that happiness that she could sense was almost within reach. Granted, she knew that his family would likely not welcome her with open arms, but she figured that she'd worry about that problem later.

 _Maybe you should save worrying about his family's reaction to your relationship until after the two of you have actually established a relationship._

Meng Feng's foot slipped slightly on an icy tree root, bringing her back to reality as her midsection pulsed with pain again. She mentally chided herself for her lack of concentration, knowing that such a lapse even after the battle could still get people killed. Yuan Song reached out his hand to steady her, concern written on his face. She smiled reassuringly at him, but he didn't appear to be convinced.

They were heading up to the ridge on which Xiao Yu and Xia Chong had been fighting, wanting to ensure that the Liang princess was no longer a threat and their ally wasn't in need of medical care. Meng Feng knew that the former Afterlife Camp assassin might have decided to leave the area rather than to face the possibility of having her status as Xiao Ce's agent revealed, but she owed both Xia Chong and Xiao Ce too much to not check on the warrior's welfare. Yuan Song knew about Meng Feng's past, of course, and had swiftly agreed with her when she'd suggested that they inspect that particular ridge.

 _Of course, I can't help but hope that he also wanted to get away from all of the chaos with me for awhile,_ she admitted.

Not that they were alone; several of the men that Yuan Song had commanded in battle had insisted on accompanying them, and a few of the surviving Afterlife Camp assassins had come along as well. They picked their way carefully up the small pathway, checking any bodies they found for signs of life. So far, there had been no survivors.

Meng Feng led the way up onto the ridge, sword ready just in case a threat was still present. She saw no one, but she didn't relax her stance. A huddled figure at the base of a scrubby pine caught her eye, and her heart sank as she realized the person's identity. She saw the bloody tree stub above where the body lay and her optimism dimmed further.

Yuan Song looked at Meng Feng with compassion and they both walked up to the figure. She bent down and felt Xia Chong's neck for a pulse, shocked when she felt a faint fluttering against her fingertips. Carefully, she rolled the warrior's body over, noting that the severe wound in her side was frozen over in a manner that reminded her of what Chu Qiao had done to her and Yuwen Yue's injuries.

Xia Chong groaned softly, and Meng Feng instinctively tried to pick her up. She grunted in pain herself, however, and asked one of the accompanying soldiers to take Xia Chong to the infirmary. Yuan Song reached his hand out as if to examine Meng Feng's side, but she turned away from him as quickly as she could and pursued the soldier.

 _I know that I need help, but I can't leave him out here,_ she thought again.

Meng Feng wanted to make sure that the soldier understood that he was to make sure that Xia Chong received priority in terms of care, so she did her best to catch up to him, but her wound would not allow her to match his pace. On the way to the soldier, a pair of corpses caught her eye, and the obvious identity of the bottom one made her gasp and call out Yuan Song's name.

He was there almost instantly, eyes full of concern. She pointed at the pair of bodies, one of which was clearly Xiao Yu, whose face had frozen in an eternal glare. The other looked like a small, young soldier who had died face-down with Xiao Yu's odd sword speared all the way through him. Yuan Song's eyes widened as he walked over to investigate. Meng Feng considered staying with him, but the two were obviously dead, so she felt no fear for his safety.

She'd just caught up with the soldier and delivered her orders to him when she heard Yuan Song gasp out his sister's name before howling as if his entire world had ended. Ignoring the throbbing the movements caused, Meng Feng whirled around and pelted back towards Yuan Song.

She skidded to a stop in front of the two corpses, her eyes tearing up as she realized that the body of the young soldier Yuan Song was loosely cradling in the crook of his left arm was actually Princess Chun'er. His eyes were a maelstrom of misery and confusion as he tried to comprehend this sudden, stunning loss but could not seem to do so.

Meng Feng realized that Yuan Song was unable to hold the princess properly because Xiao Yu's sword was still impaling her. She walked up to Yuan Song's right side, grasped his cheek with one hand, and turned his tear-streaked face up towards her own. Clasping the hilt of Xiao Yu's flexible sword with her other hand, she pulled it out of Chun'er's body while looking deeply into Yuan Song's eyes.

One of the men walked up and took the sword away, freeing Meng Feng's hand so that she could place it on Yuan Song's other cheek. He went to rest his head against her stomach, but his eyes widened when he saw the severity of her ax wound up close and he pulled back.

"Meng Feng-"

"I know," she said softly. "But this is more important now."

She knelt down next to Yuan Song, fighting through the pain to help him draw Chun'er up into his lap now that the sword was gone from her body. When that task was done, Meng Feng slumped against his right side, winding a hand around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder. Yuan Song lowered his head to Chun'er's and wept, the few men around them standing watch awkwardly in the lengthening shadows of the pale, mid-afternoon sun.

* * *

Yuwen Yue had flinched at Yuan Song's scream, but he'd known from experience that a cry like that only came from one who had encountered the dead rather than the living. The image of Yan Xun throwing his head back and howling his misery at the heavens passed through his mind, but he cast that picture aside in favor of focusing on more practical issues. He knew that he could do nothing for the young prince, but he figured that Meng Feng was with him and that she would take care of the man she'd come to care for deeply.

The infirmary was a small, sparsely-furnished place, equipped with only a few crude, wooden operating tables, a couple of recovery beds, and rudimentary medical supplies. Yuwen Yue was sitting in a small chair close to where Phoenix and Mister Wu were working on Xing'er, absentmindedly twisting his beloved's blood-soaked handkerchief in his hands. Although he knew a decent bit about medicine from his studies and personal experience, some of what the two of them were doing was beyond him—especially in regards to their use of Ice Martial Arts techniques.

Yue Qi was standing next to him, obviously unwilling to leave his master at such a time. Yuwen Yue had tried to convince his loyal right hand to get his wounds tended, but Yue Qi had insisted that he was fine and that the few medics they had were occupied with more important tasks than taking care of his small side wound. Scowling had gotten Yuwen Yue nowhere, so he'd resorted to doing the same thing for Yue Qi that he'd been doing for Xing'er: watching.

He was too weak to go out and help the others who were combing the battlefield looking for survivors, but he could at least be here for the woman he loved as she fought for life. Xing'er had always been strong and resilient, managing to quickly recover from injuries that would've put many men on their backs. Yuwen Yue knew that if she could survive the night, her normal healing abilities would likely allow her to recover and live.

 _Of course she'll live,_ Yuwen Yue thought, hope rising again in his heart. _A full recovery is in both Phoenix's and Mister Wu's best interests._

Yue Qi suddenly slumped over, his hand coming to rest on the back of Yuwen Yue's chair. He looked up at his house guard captain in startlement, scowling again as he realized that Yue Qi was in serious need of medical attention. Yuwen Yue sprang into action—as much as someone in his condition could spring, anyway.

He knew that he probably should've let someone else take care of Yue Qi, but there was nobody else, and there was suddenly a free table right in front of where he found himself, and he was forcing Yue Qi up onto the table in spite of the man's weak protestations. The whole string of events seemed to pass in a blur as Yuwen Yue allowed himself to operate on instinct.

"Xing'er," Yue Qi protested weakly. "Help Xing'er."

"I can't help Xing'er," Yuwen Yue murmured. "I can, however, help you—if you'll be quiet and let me concentrate."

Yue Qi stayed prudently silent, and Yuwen Yue turned his mind to the task at hand.

Somehow he managed to clean Yue Qui's injury, staunch the bleeding, and seal the deep stab wound. He wished that he'd had access to the high-quality medicine that he kept supplied at Qing Shan Yuan, but all the Xiulis had managed to stockpile were a few healing herbs that were already in short supply. Not feeling the slightest bit guilty, he used some of the medicine anyway, unwilling to jeopardize Yue Qi's welfare out of some misguided sense of selflessness.

"Xing'er," Yue Qi muttered again, his eyes widening as he looked at the table on which she was resting.

"I already told you," Yuwen Yue said in frustration as he helped his right-hand man off of the table. "I can't help her. I have nothing left to give her."

"No...I mean..."Yue Qi lapsed into silence, causing Yuwen Yue to turn around and follow the direction of Yue Qi's eyes.

Xing'er lay unconscious on the table, in that regard appearing no different than she had looked earlier. What had likely drawn Yue Qi's eyes, however, was the sheer amount of blood pooled on and around the sides of the table. How could she possibly survive losing so much blood?

 _How could she not survive?_ Yuwen Yue thought in anguish, the continual ebb and flow of hope and despair in regards to Xing'er's survival prospects serving to exhaust him further.

Finally, Phoenix lowered her hands and straightened up from where she'd been bent over Xing'er as she'd used the Ice Martial Arts techniques to try to keep his beloved from bleeding out. Wu Daoya also stood up, his expression grim.

"We have done all we can, but she's lost too much blood," Phoenix said. "As before, there's a way that we might be able to save her, but it'll be risky for both her and whoever volunteers to help her."

"What do I have to do?" Yuwen Yue asked just as he had previously.

"As I said earlier, Luo He was a learned woman who experimented with the medical uses of her Ice Martial Arts abilities whenever she could. One thing that she discovered is that not everyone's blood is the same. We don't understand her findings, really, but using a particular Ice Martial Arts technique can cause different types of blood to react in certain distinctive ways that can identify them as compatible or incompatible with one another."

Yuwen Yue stared at Phoenix blankly, unable to follow her reasoning—especially in his current state. He knew much about blood and the way it moved through the body; he had, after all, managed to fake Xing'er's death so convincingly with a dart that he'd even fooled himself. This, however, was something new to him.

"In short, I can use this technique to test people's blood for compatibility with Chu Qiao's. If someone's blood reacts the same as Chu Qiao's does when manipulated by this technique, then that person can give his or her blood directly to Chu Qiao through a device that Mister Wu developed."

"Give her blood directly?" Yuwen Yue asked in disbelief. "But how? I've never heard of such a thing."

"This is something that the three of us developed over years of study and research," Mister Wu said, pulling out a strange-looking contraption from within his robes. "One of these will go into Chu Qiao's arm," he said, holding up one part of the long, thin device that had what looked like a metal dart at the end, "while the other will go into our volunteer's arm."

The device looked simpler upon further inspection. Each thin dart seemed to be attached to an end of what looked like a fairly long piece of intestinal tubing with a small metal ball roughly the size of a silver bell. Yuwen Yue simply couldn't get his mind to wrap around what Phoenix and Mister Wu were proposing, so he decided to stop trying in the interest of getting back to the most important detail.

"So you have to...test our blood somehow?" he asked.

"Yes," Phoenix said. "I've already set aside some of Chu Qiao's blood in this bowl because I knew this would likely be the outcome of our ministrations. I have these small bowls here; everyone who's willing and able will be asked to drop a bit of blood into an unused bowl so that I can test for matches."

Yuwen Yue shakily stood up and staggered over to Phoenix. He reopened one of his many wounds and allowed several drops of blood to drip into the bowl.

"You do realize that, as weak as you are, giving any of your blood to Chu Qiao will likely kill you, don't you?" Phoenix asked.

"I already told you I'd do anything for her," he said, looking down at his beloved. "I've always been willing to do anything, give everything...If the last thing that I can give her is the very blood from my veins, then I won't hesitate."

Phoenix nodded once, a look of grudging respect entering her eyes.

"Don't start making dramatic pronouncements yet, Yuwen," she said. "We might yet find a healthier volunteer."

Yuwen Yue opened his mouth to point out that the healthiest people were those who were currently not in the infirmary, but he didn't see the point. He knew that his blood would match that of his beloved's and that he would be the one to make sure she lived on. Protecting Xing'er had been his highest priority for awhile now, so putting his own body at risk to save her didn't seem unusual to him.

He didn't even bother to watch the test itself, his typical curiosity in regards to such matters not being compelling enough to turn his gaze away from watching his beloved's bloody chest rise and fall with each labored breath she took. She was so pale, so small, so weak…

A couple of gasps sounded from observers near where he knew the testing was going on, and he looked up, knowing what he would see. His eyes connected with Phoenix's, and he knew. She nodded in confirmation, and he stood up uncertainly.

"What do I have to do?" he asked in what had become his life's refrain in regards to Xing'er.

Mister Wu pulled Yuwen Yue's chair forward and set it close to the side of the woman he loved.

"Sit here," he instructed. "I'll put this needle in your arm-"

"Needle?" Yuwen Yue asked skeptically.

"It's hollow, so the blood can pass through," Mister Wu explained patiently. "Phoenix will attach a similar needle in Chu Qiao's arm. Then she'll use an Ice Martial Arts technique to make your blood flow into Chu Qiao at a steady pace. When Chu Qiao's color starts to improve, we'll stop and look for another volunteer. I promise we'll stop as soon as we can."

Yuwen Yue's eyes met Phoenix's again, and she nodded her head almost imperceptibly at his implied question.

 _I knew we'd understand each other. She is a member of the Underworld, after all. She won't hesitate to do what's necessary to save Xing'er._

Mister Wu tied a bandage around Yuwen Yue's bicep, explaining that doing so would help him to put the needle in the right place. Yuwen Yue nodded, barely even feeling the insertion of the dart-like needle in the crook of his arm. He could see his life blood flowing through the small, translucent tubing, disappearing at the base of the other needle but not coming out through its opening. He looked at Phoenix in question.

"I need to get the needle into Chu Qiao's arm before I let the blood flow all the way through," she explained.

Yuwen Yue nodded again, not having the energy to do anything else. He watched Phoenix insert the needle into Xing'er's arm and then place her hand under the tubing roughly midway between himself and the woman he loved. She appeared to be using the Ice Martial Arts technique to control the blood transfer just as she'd promised to do.

Almost immediately, he began to weaken again. Yuwen Yue felt himself growing even colder than he'd been before, and his consciousness began to recede further and further from reality. He allowed his mind to drift from topic to topic, idly musing about the fates of Wei and Yanbei, whether his friend Prince Xiang would become emperor, and whether Yuan Song and Meng Feng would be allowed to wed. These topics failed to generate as much concern as he knew they should because he could feel himself slipping away.

Xing'er, however, appeared to be losing a little of the death-like pallor that had scared him so much. In fact, he would swear that he could see the faintest tinges of color beginning to return to her cheeks. The woman he loved was coming back to life in front of his eyes, and he felt a sense of peace steal over him.

Yuwen Yue's eyes began to grow heavy, and he could feel himself start to fade in and out of consciousness. He vaguely registered Mister Wu's alarmed eyes making contact with Phoenix's placid ones. There seemed to be an argument happening between them, but everything seemed far away and disconnected from Yuwen Yue's reality.

"D-do it, Phoenix," he whispered with the last bit of his strength. "I know you can. K-kill the leader of the Eyes of God, the l-last Yuwen heir. B-bring your leader b-back to life. T-tell her...t-tell her I love..."

 _Xing'er was right,_ Yuwen Yue thought as the darkness closed in on him. _Being a spy of sacrifice isn't so bad, and there are worse fates than dying for the one you love._

* * *

AN: [dodges rotten produce] Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know that's a mean thing to do to y'all, but this really was the most logical stopping place given what's going to happen next. Remember my disclaimer; a happy ending lies ahead, but first they must make it through the crucible of the icy lake, which, as I said earlier, demands all. (At least I think I said that earlier; if I didn't say that earlier, then let's just pretend I did, okay? Because it's true.)

Tentative Posting Timeline: Next week: The aftermath of the battle/triage with secondary characters. (Our babies have earned a break, don't you think? No? Well, too bad, because they're getting one.) Two weeks from today: Awakening. Three weeks from today: Nighttime XingYue recovery. Four weeks from today: Daytime XingYue recovery.

Musical Selections: I felt our OTP deserved two songs this week. The first is "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis. I've honestly never found a cover that's better than the original (although Vitamin String Quartet's instrumental version is nice if that's your type of thing). The second is "Gone, Gone, Gone" by Philip Phillips. For a nice XingYue experience, feel free to listen to the cover by Caitlin Hart and Corey Gray.

Translations: Angel Chua has added to her fanfiction, "The Secret Princess," on her blog, princessagents dot wordpress dot com. You know how I've lamented that I know my stories suffer at times due to lack of understanding the Chinese culture? Well, this story doesn't have that problem in the slightest, so check it out.


	11. Chapter 11

AN: Since this is the story of how our OTP's people band together to save them (and others), there's no XingYue in this chapter whatsoever. In order to offset that, I've posted an intro to what will eventually be my next story, "Awakening." It's rough. It's unplanned. Few things are set in stone. The plot is nonexistent. But the idea for the world is there, and there's XingYue. Feel free to check it out and leave some input about where you'd like to see the story go. (I might even listen to it;).)

* * *

He Xiao carried the half-dead soldier in his arms, knowing that the man's odds of survival were slim given the sheer amount of injured they were trying to help versus the lack of medics in their midst. There wasn't even enough room to set aside all the wounded and dying, much less house them in a safe, warm environment that would give them better odds of survival.

Still, he carried his burden towards the infirmary, hoping against hope that there might be a place for this loyal Xiuli soldier who had been with him for so long. He was one of the men who'd lifted his head up to Chu Da Ren as she'd ridden through the light into the gates of Chang'an in what sometimes seemed like another life. Chu Da Ren could do nothing for this soldier or anyone else—and might never be able to do anything again.

The thought of Chu Da Ren surviving the battle only to die of an injury afterward hurt He Xiao in a way that few things ever had. He was a warrior through and through, a man who had faced death countless times and who would likely do so again and again until he died with a sword in his hands.

That would happen later, however; now, he had a dying man in his grasp and an obligation to get him the care he needed.

Just as He Xiao had feared, the infirmary was packed. He turned towards the overflow tent that had been erected a short distance away, knowing that it was likely full as well. They simply didn't have the resources to deal with this level of carnage. He Xiao saw enemy injured being cared for along with his people, and he smiled because he knew that Chu Da Ren would've approved.

His smile turned to a scowl, however, as he realized that the man in his arms would likely die due to their decision to assist the enemy wounded. He felt that helping everyone who was injured was the right thing to do, but that didn't mean that he couldn't be angry at the injustice of the death of a good man due to attempts to save some less-than-good men.

Miraculously, there was a place available in the overflow tent, so he handed his man off to a harried-looking medic and immediately headed back towards the battlefield. As he neared the infirmary, however, his feet slowed automatically and he gave into the temptation to check in on Chu Da Ren before heading off in search of more wounded to save.

He stepped through the door and stopped cold, his eyes widening in shock and anguish at the scene before him. Chu Da Ren was covered in and surrounded by blood, and Young Master Yue was slumped over in a chair beside her, looking even paler than she did. Mister Wu was in the process of removing a strange device from Young Master Yue's arm, his face a mask of worry and...guilt?

The woman—Phoenix, Chu Da Ren had called her—watched the entire process with a faint sneer on her face. She turned to look at He Xiao, having heard his approach. Her eyes widened in recognition as she grabbed a small bowl and a knife and turned towards him. He Xiao was, of course, wary of such a fierce warrior approaching him with a bared blade, but her body language did not seem to indicate aggression towards him.

"You're the one who carried her here," Phoenix stated.

"Yes...um..."

"Phoenix will do," the woman said, a corner of her mouth twitching.

"I had the honor of carrying Chu Da Ren here, yes, Phoenix," He Xiao said, clasping his hands and bowing.

"I don't have time to explain what we're doing, and you probably wouldn't understand it anyway. Cut your hand—or reopen a wound, if you'd like—and drop some blood in this bowl. I'll test the blood. If it matches Chu Qiao's, I'll take some blood from your body and put it into Chu Qiao's. Doing this could save her life; if I don't do this, she'll die. Understand?"

He Xiao blinked at her in astonishment a few times before taking the knife she'd held out to him and using it to reopen a slice on his arm he'd taken at the mouth of the pass. He allowed a few drops to drip in the bowl before looking up at Phoenix in question.

"A few more," she commanded.

He squeezed the wound and caused a bit more blood to fall into the bowl. She took the container away without another word and did...something to it. He Xiao had no idea what was happening, but he could see that whatever she was doing to the blood was causing it to...ripple, he supposed. Her eyebrows raised, and she brought another bowl next to it—Chu Da Ren's blood, perhaps?-and did the same thing to it. The blood in both bowls seemed to move in the same way; Phoenix smiled in response.

"What do I have to do?" He Xiao asked before she had a chance to say anything.

The woman gave him an appraising look for some reason, although He Xiao felt that his question was a perfectly logical one given the circumstances. He knew that time was short, after all, so why waste time on small talk and explanations?

"Sit where that Yuwen was sitting," Phoenix said, inclining her head towards the now-empty chair.

He Xiao did so, noting that Mister Wu was in the process of gently placing Young Master Yue in one of the few beds they had in the infirmary. He looked worse than He Xiao had ever seen him, and the warrior worried that his general's beloved might not survive.

Phoenix's approaching footsteps drew his attention back to the matter at hand, and his eyes widened as he saw the warrior holding a device that looked somewhat similar to the one that Mister Wu had used on Chu Da Ren and Young Master Yue. His eyes grew bigger when he noted the dart at the end and remembered that Mister Wu had removed something similar from Young Master Yue's arm. He caught Phoenix looking at him in question and glared at her.

"I'm not afraid," he said fiercely. "Just tell me what to do to save Chu Da Ren, and I'll do it."

"This could kill you, you know," Phoenix said, holding an empty glass jar in one hand and the darted device in the other. "I know you lost blood during the battle, so you probably don't have much to spare."

"My life has belonged to Chu Da Ren since she claimed it at the gates of Chang'an months ago," He Xiao said. "I could never live with myself if she died and I knew I could've saved her."

"I just wanted to make sure you understood the risk," Phoenix said. "This probably won't kill you, though. I took enough blood from that Yuwen to give Chu Qiao several hours before she needs any more, so we have time to take just enough from you. It's a better, safer method of blood transference that we developed not long before Luo He..."

He Xiao nodded into the silence although he didn't understand—especially after Phoenix trailed off. He held out his arm and didn't flinch when Phoenix inserted the dart into it. The dart was attached to some sort of small tube that ended inside the glass jar that Phoenix had put on the ground at his feet. He watched in amazement as some of his blood flowed through the tube—intestine, maybe?-and into the jar.

"Is this all I have to do?" he asked the warrior.

"Yes," she replied. "Once you've filled up the glass jar, I'll empty its contents into a bag and I'll introduce it into Chu Qiao's blood slowly."

"A bag that can hold blood?" He Xiao asked incredulously. "What's the bag made out of?"

"Do you really want to know?" Phoenix asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not really," He Xiao conceded. "I don't need to understand the details about the way you're saving Chu Da Ren; all that matters to me is that she lives—and Young Master Yue, of course."

Phoenix's eyes darkened in displeasure.

"I don't know if that Yuwen will survive or not. He gave his blood and his life willingly for Chu Qiao, so I followed his instructions and took as much blood as was necessary to ensure her survival—for now, at least. Chu Qiao's well-being is my primary concern; I honestly don't care if that Yuwen lives or dies."

"'That Yuwen,' as you call him, is the man that Chu Da Ren loves!" He Xiao said. "How do you think she'll feel when she awakens and learns that the man she loves died for her?"

"She'll mourn his loss and then honor his sacrifice by living well—and by taking her rightful place at the head of her people, of course."

He Xiao smiled humorlessly at the woman.

"The last leader who believed that Chu Da Ren would forgive him for killing people she considered hers is currently being prepared for burial. While Chu Da Ren didn't kill him, she did turn on him in an attempt to save her people."

"Who are her people now?" Phoenix asked. "People she cared for when she had no memory of her identity or her destiny? Now that she remembers who she really is, she'll surely take her place at our head and cast off the life she was living in the darkness of memory loss."

"Chu Da Ren didn't seem particularly different to me even after she regained her memories. In fact, she was clearly still in love with Young Master Yue in spite of the return of her knowledge and abilities."

"A minor obstacle—especially when Young Master Yue dies from blood loss and illness."

He Xiao opened his mouth to continue arguing with the woman, but he figured that doing so would be pointless.

 _Besides, I probably shouldn't anger someone who has a dart sticking in my arm—and who could probably kill me with her bare hands._

"So how many times will I need to do this for Chu Da Ren?" He Xiao asked, acting as awkwardly as possible as if he simply wanted to change the subject.

"A few more times through the evening and night," she said condescendingly, taking his bait.

"Will that kill me?"

"Not if you eat, drink, and rest in between," Phoenix replied.

"Am I the only one who can do this or could someone else do this for me?"

"Anyone can volunteer as long as he—or she—has blood that vibrates similarly to Chu Qiao's as you saw it do during the test."

"So you can do this specific type of transfer multiple times and with multiple volunteers?"

"Yes."

"So if I rounded up some of my men and brought them here, you could test them and use their blood to save Chu Da Ren if their blood matches hers."

"Yes."

"So if several men and I are compatible with Chu Da Ren, will she have enough blood?"

"And a surplus if necessary."

"A surplus?" He Xiao said, injecting hopefulness into his tone. "One of my men that was recently brought in...he was in a bad way. Could you maybe…?"

Phoenix sighed.

"Theoretically, yes, I could use any surplus blood to save your man so long as Chu Qiao's needs were met and the blood was compatible."

He Xiao grinned fiercely, knowing he'd won another battle even if his adversary did not yet know herself to be defeated.

"As soon as I'm done, I'll go tell the men that they're needed to save Chu Da Ren's life—and maybe the lives of their brothers as well. You won't have room for all of them once I tell them."

Phoenix sighed again.

 _You have no idea,_ He Xiao thought, smiling to himself. _Chu Da Ren, I promise I won't let you die—either of you._

He Xiao made idle chit-chat with Phoenix as she took the device from his arm. He thanked her for working so hard to save Chu Da Ren and gave her firm instructions to find him if his general took a turn for the worse and needed more blood. She humored him and agreed, taking the jar of blood away to do who-knew-what with it.

He walked out of the infirmary without a backward glance. While he was a bit light-headed, that unpleasant sensation could not keep him from his task. He Xiao was sure that once he told the men what was going on with both Chu Da Ren and Young Master Yue, they'd be eager to help him to convince Phoenix to save both their general and her beloved.

 _Nothing will stop me; nothing will slow me down._

* * *

Meng Feng had been outraged to discover that Xia Chong had been dumped unceremoniously outside the spillover tent with the rest of the injured who might be able to survive if the heavens were to smile on them by granting them a place inside. The soldier she'd tasked with Xia Chong's safety was nowhere to be found, and Meng Feng had to concede that he likely hadn't had much choice in the matter of where to put his charge. There was simply no room anywhere for anyone except those who happened to arrive at the right time—or who had the right people to vouch for them.

While she and Yuan Song were treated with respect by the Xiulis and soldiers, acceptance into the infirmary or spillover tent was haphazard and inconsistent. She was too injured to pull off her "Deadly Afterlife Camp Assassin" routine, and Yuan Song couldn't carry her Xia Chong with one arm, much less strong-arm his way inside.

As usual, she was making do with what she had, which was an old, ratty blanket that was currently spread out on a relatively flat, dry patch of frozen earth. Meng Feng had done her best to clean out the wound as Yuan Song had propped up Xia Chong with his arm, acknowledging that the two of them might've failed to remove all the slivers of wood that had embedded themselves in the wound.

She looked up at Yuan Song helplessly, seeing hopelessness reflected in his own eyes. They both clearly knew there was nothing more they could do without a trained medic who knew what needed to be done next.

"We can't let her die, Yuan Song," Meng Feng said. "I owe Xiao Ce too much."

"So do I," Yuan Song replied.

"How do you owe Xiao Ce?" Meng Feng asked.

"Were it not for him, Yuwen Yue never would've rescued you—and I never would've met you," he said, looking at her in a way that made her breathing hitch.

"Well, then, we'll just have to find a way to—He Xiao!" Meng Feng shouted at the warrior who was passing by. She knew that if anyone could get Xia Chong into the infirmary, this man could.

He frowned in annoyance as if Meng Feng had interrupted an important mission. Nevertheless, he came over to them and greeted them.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but our ally is seriously hurt and needs to be taken care of. I know there are a lot of people in that same situation, but Xia Chong-"

"-is the one who was fighting the Liang princess so valiantly," He Xiao said, recognition flaring in his eyes.

"Yes," Meng Feng said in relief. "In fact, she's the one who told us about the situation here and who found out about the rebel Yanbei troops from her contacts in the city."

"Contacts?" He Xiao asked sharply.

Meng Feng mentally chided herself for giving away too much.

"Yes, contacts," she said carefully. "I don't want to talk about it here, but I'll just say that she works for someone powerful who has been known to help Chu Qiao and Young Master Yue on occasion and leave it at that."

"Mm," He Xiao grunted.

"She can also do whatever it is that A'Chu and Yuwen Yue can do—or could do—with the ice," Yuan Song said. "I saw her send some ice shards at Xiao Yu myself during the fight."

"I thought I saw her do something like that myself, but I figured that my eyes had deceived me. Whatever her motivations, I can't let such a brave warrior die," He Xiao said, carefully picking the injured warrior up. "She looks a lot like-"

"We noticed," Meng Feng said. "I have a feeling that other people have noticed, too."

He Xiao didn't say anything to that as he quickly walked back to the infirmary. He told them about his mission, and both of them agreed to be tested. Yuan Song scowled at her as she said that, telling her that she'd already lost too much blood and that she needed to receive treatment. She managed to put him off until they reached the infirmary, where he became distracted by the chaos.

"...has some of your people's abilities," Meng Feng heard He Xiao say as she entered the infirmary.

Apparently he was arguing with the woman whom Chu Qiao had called Phoenix about treating Xia Chong personally. Meng Feng was content to let He Xiao handle this situation since he was obviously more familiar with the Underworld agent than she was. Her eyes were drawn instantly to Young Master Yue, who looked so pale and weak under the thin blanket that was covering him. She walked over to her master, her eyes misting with tears at how close to death he looked.

Mister Wu had been watching the exchange between He Xiao and Phoenix closely; Meng Feng felt that there was a story there but that Mister Wu was keeping quiet about it for some reason. The man struck her as the type of person who was willing to patiently wait in the shadows until the right time to act arrived.

"There isn't much I can do," Mister Wu said softly beside her. "After letting Phoenix take so much of Yuwen Yue's blood for Chu Qiao, he needs blood and warmth, but the odds of him receiving either, especially from _her_..."

"I take it she can't just use Ice Martial Arts and..."

"The power of the Ice Martial Arts abilities is amazing, and I've seen people do incredible things with them. One thing they cannot do, however, is to heal a person. True, someone gifted in their use can employ various techniques to stave off death for a time, but eventually, real medical care will be needed."

"Would this medical care require the use of Ice Martial Arts techniques or could someone else skilled in medicine provide them?"

"In all likelihood, Young Master Yue would stand a decent chance of survival if he had some replacement blood and better medicine. If someone could get me those things..." Mister Wu trailed off, looking at her meaningfully.

"Really?" Meng Feng heard Yuan Song exclaim excitedly across the room.

"Yes," Phoenix said. "Your blood matches Chu Qiao's, so you'll be able to give some of your blood to her if necessary."

"You know, Miss Meng, one thing we've discovered about blood is that if two people match, then the blood of anyone else who tests similarly can be used on either person with high success rates."

"Is that so?" Meng Feng said, a calculating look in her eyes.

"Indeed," Mister Wu said, smiling mysteriously. "In fact, were enough people to be found who were compatible, then..."

"Then there would be a surplus of blood to treat multiple matching people—and a lack of excuses for _her_ not to do so—especially in front of said volunteers."

"Why, Miss Meng, I think you may have made a great discovery. In fact, I think that He Xiao over there has also come to the same conclusion—although he didn't say so out loud, of course."

"Of course," Meng Feng said. "Thank you for your diagnosis, Mister Wu. I found it most enlightening."

"My pleasure, Miss Meng. And now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go and help your friend—who will surely have quite a story to tell when she awakens."

Meng Feng walked back over to Yuan Song, who was sitting in a chair and about to have this odd-looking device inserted into his arm. She wasn't happy about him undergoing a procedure about which she knew nothing, but she knew that Yuan Song would do anything to save a friend. As Phoenix was about to stick what looked like a dart into Yuan Song's arm, a clamor arose at the door as a soldier ran in and looked around wildly. He saw Yuan Song and ran over, clasping his hands and bowing.

"Report!" he gasped, out of breath. "Wei...Wei's come! Wei's here! Outside...up on the ridges...in the passes...everywhere!"

Yuan Song paled and bolted up from the chair, knocking it backwards in his haste before sprinting out of the infirmary. Without hesitation, Meng Feng grabbed her sword and ran after him, unwilling to allow him to face the forces of his homeland without her. She looked around for He Xiao, but he seemed to have disappeared, presumably having gone on his mission to find volunteers for blood-testing.

As Yuan Song mounted the horse that a soldier had prepared for him, she found to her surprise that one had been readied for her as well. Her eyes widened in question as she looked at the soldier who had settled the horse near a boulder she could use for mounting, but he simply gazed at her knowingly. Meng Feng allowed a small smile of acknowledgment to shape her lips as she tucked her sword at the horse's left side and then climbed into the saddle as quickly as her injury would allow.

She urged the horse as swiftly as she could given the circumstances, which was fortunately just fast enough to catch up with Yuan Song as he neared the perimeter of their triage area. The prince frowned at her as he saw her riding up at his right side, but she blanked her face and jutted out her chin in defiance.

"You need to go back, Meng Feng," he pleaded with her. "You're too hurt. You need to get help. Please," he said softly. "I just lost Chun'er. I can't lose y-"

His words were cut off as they cleared the triage area and came back onto the main pathway. Wei troops armed for war ringed the ridges just as the soldier had said. Yuan Song rode harder, and Meng Feng matched him speed for speed. Her side was pulsing flashes of agony through her, and stars flared behind her eyes with every hoofbeat.

When they were close enough to the main pass to identify individual faces of soldiers, Yuan Song pulled up suddenly, his expression shocked. Meng Feng stopped her horse as well, almost passing out from the pain.

"What are you doing here, brother?" Yuan Song asked warily, his back straight and his shoulders squared as he sat competently atop his horse.

Meng Feng was glad she'd come, glad she'd endured the pain to stand—or sit—at the side of the man she loved as he faced down his older brother with the fate of multiple kingdoms hanging in the balance.

* * *

Prince Xiang stared in astonishment at the bruised, battered man dressed in Yanbei armor who claimed to be his brother. The man he saw before him looked little like the listless, despondent youth to whom he'd said farewell back in Chang'an and bore no resemblance whatsoever to the feckless boy Yu'er had once been.

 _I've never seen him look so...manly,_ Xiang thought, unable to express the change in his brother in any other manner.

His adviser had painted a grim picture of the current status of Yanbei, claiming that Chu Qiao and a group of co-conspirators had staged a coup to install Wu Daoya as the ruler of Yanbei—after removing all obstacles in their way, of course. As he looked around him at the carnage and his brother's current mode of dress, however, he had to acknowledge that things simply weren't adding up.

"Yu'er?" Prince Xiang finally managed to say. "Is that really you?"

"Of course it's me, Brother," Yu'er said, giving him a strained smile. "Who else would I be?"

 _Now that sounds more like the Yu'er I know._

"I'd been told...never mind. I barely recognized you, Yu'er. You look..."

"Like I took over a rebel splinter of Yanbei troops, fought the other rebel soldiers at the base of Xiuli Mountain, and then fought most of the Black Eagles on the shores of the icy lake?"

"Um..."

"And rescued Yuwen Yue and A'Chu just in time; that happened, too. But then they got shot and fell into the lake, and then they came out of the lake and could do...icy martial arts things...And then the Underworld showed up. That was scary."

"What?!" Prince Xiang finally managed to say. "Yu'er, you're not making any sense."

"You think _hearing_ about today doesn't make any sense? You should've tried _living_ through it. That made even less sense."

Prince Xiang sighed.

 _Underneath all of that battle grime and world-weariness, he's still my little brother._

"I'm sorry, Brother, but so much has happened in such a short amount of time..."

Yu'er trailed off and suddenly got a look on his face that scared Xiang worse than anything he'd encountered so far. The obvious concern in the expression of the beautiful woman sitting next to Yu'er made the pit of his stomach drop. She reached out a hand and lightly touched Yu'er's shoulder near where Xiang knew his old wound was, and he was shocked when his brother not only allowed the touch but leaned into it slightly.

"What's wrong, Yu'er?" Prince Xiang prompted his brother.

The woman at his side sidled closer to Yu'er, obviously lending him comfort. His brother straightened his shoulders and looked at him with a level of maturity and determination that he'd never seen in him before.

"Before I tell you, Brother, you need to tell me what you're doing here," Yu'er said calmly but firmly.

"I heard you were in trouble, so I came to rescue you," Xiang said, telling the partial truth.

"So these tens of thousands of troops around us are just a big rescue party?" Yu'er asked, a sharp note in his voice.

"They're here to do whatever's necessary to protect you," Prince Xiang said, scowling.

"I see," Yu'er said, his face going hard. "But they won't do anything now that I'm clearly no longer in danger, right?"

"That remains to be seen," Xiang said.

The coldness that took over Yu'er's eyes was so completely alien in that typically easy-going face that Prince Xiang almost physically recoiled from it. While the events of the past year had changed his brother significantly, he'd never seen his brother look at him in that way.

"That's what I thought," Yu'er said. "Well, then, go ahead. Slaughter us."

His brother waved his left arm in the general direction of the pitifully few troops who had mobilized on the path behind him. They were all tired and bloody, but they were clearly willing to follow Yu'er into battle even if the result was certain death. While the woman at Yu'er's side didn't have a weapon in her hands, her sword was within easy reach—and he had no doubt she knew how to use it.

"What are you waiting for, Brother? We're right here waiting for you. We're exhausted. We're hungry. We're wounded. We're easy targets to further the glory of Wei. There hasn't been enough blood shed today. We haven't suffered enough loss. So go ahead and kill us."

"What's gotten into you, Yu'er?" Prince Xiang asked.

"Responsibility, Brother," Yu'er said. "Responsibility's gotten into me. These men are my responsibility because they fought for me. Many of their brothers died so that we could save the lives of those trapped here. They turned on their own countrymen after their leaders—which included Liang's princess and head spy, Xiao Yu, by the way—ordered them to come here and kill Yuwen Yue, A'Chu, the Xiulis, and anyone else who stood with them. They refused, and their reward shouldn't be to become victims of Wei's next great conquest."

"So they refused to take part in the coup to put Wu Daoya on the throne of Yanbei?"

"Wu D—what do you mean, Brother?"

"So you didn't know about Chu Qiao's little plan, then," Xiang said condescendingly.

"Of course I knew about A'Chu's plan; I was in on it almost from its beginning—or at least its middle."

"No, Brother, you only thought you were in on the plan. My adviser told me that the real plan was for Chu Qiao and her followers to kill all of the leaders of Yanbei, to fool Yuwen Yue and you into meeting the conspirators here, and then to attack you—eventually setting Wu Daoya up as the leader of Yanbei."

Yu'er barked a laugh, shaking his head in denial.

"If that was their plan, they did a terrible job of it," Yu'er said. "Maybe you need to hire a new adviser, Brother. I don't think yours has your best interests at heart—or mine, for that matter."

"But he's very experienced-"

"Is that supposed to be a point in his favor?" Yu'er asked him mockingly.

Prince Xiang opened his mouth to retort, but he had to concede his brother's point.

"Well, he seems to have been wrong on several points, but there's no point in arguing about that now since there are more important things to worry about."

"Ah, yes, like our impending deaths," Yu'er said darkly. "Daylight doesn't last too long up here, Brother, so if you are going to conquer Yanbei, you'd better get started soon. Fighting in the dark's not much fun, after all."

Prince Xiang looked around himself uncertainly, feeling as if he were fighting a battle against a foe he couldn't even begin to understand. His adviser had made so much sense when he'd encouraged him to attack Yanbei, but seeing his brother dressed as a battle-weary Yanbei soldier who was clearly a leader of men had unsettled him greatly.

"You were going to tell me something before you asked me again what I was doing here," Xiang said, wanting to change the subject. "You said you'd tell me what happened after I told you why I was here, so tell me now."

"Okay, Brother, I'll tell you," Yu'er said, his face unreadable. "To be fair to your adviser, almost everyone showed up here to fight. Everyone wanted to get to Chu Qiao and Yuwen Yue especially; everyone wanted revenge on someone. One of those people was, as I said earlier, Xiao Yu, head spy of Liang. She managed to fool the leaders of Yanbei into thinking she was one of the last female pugilists-"

Xiang laughed incredulously, expecting Yu'er to join in. His brother, however, remained serious and continued.

"She helped lead them here and ended up fighting with another pugilist, a woman who fought on our side named Xia Chong. After the battle was over, we went up to the ridge where we'd last seen them. Xia Chong was near death; she might be dead by now for all I know. Xiao Yu was dead, shot with a crossbow at close range. Her killer was lying on top of her, Xiao Yu's sword through..."

To Xiang's astonishment, his brother's voice broke and his eyes misted over. The woman beside him sidled close again, not touching him this time but lending her support nevertheless.

"It was Chun'er, Brother," he choked out. "Chun'er killed Xiao Yu, presumably in revenge for all the problems the Liang princess has caused. She also killed Yan Xun and probably thought that Yuwen Yue and Chu Qiao had been killed by Xiao Yu. She died with a peaceful smile on her face. So go on, Brother. Take your vengeance on us. Uphold our family's legacy and further the honor of Wei. We won't be able to stop you."

Prince Xiang wanted to say something, do something, but he was simply unable to process what he'd just heard. None of it made sense.

"Chun'er's dead?" he asked softly, brokenly. "But that doesn't...She killed Yan Xun? My adviser said-"

"Your adviser's probably only looking out for his own best interests," Yu'er said harshly. "Most of what he's told you about what's been going on in Yanbei has been at best wrong and at worst untrue. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he'd had a hand in setting up this battle behind the scenes—and that he'd expected me to be unable to refute his version of events at its end."

Dong Fang Ji had filled Xiang's head with visions of conquest and glory, and he was having a hard time of letting them go. Neither his sister's death nor his brother's status as at least an honorary Yanbei soldier changed the fact that he could end the threat of Yanbei once and for all while gaining much territory and resources for Wei.

"That may be, but this is still a perfect opportunity for me—for us, Yu'er," Xiang said.

"And what opportunity are you generously offering me, Brother?" Yu'er asked. "The opportunity to prove myself a liar to my allies? The opportunity to allow the slaughter of even more innocent Yanbei citizens? I guess I would really be upholding the family tradition then. No, thanks, Brother. I'll allow you to keep all the glory of this 'opportunity' for yourself."

Prince Xiang's face darkened and he readied his retort, but Yu'er suddenly slumped his shoulders, looking more tired than Xiang had ever seen him.

"This is getting us nowhere, Brother," Yu'er said. "I don't care what your adviser said. I don't care whose fault any of this is. I don't care about your thirst for conquest or vengeance or whatever's driving you. Chun'er is dead. Yuwen Yue and A'Chu are fighting for their lives in the tiny, poorly-equipped infirmary. Meng Feng's-"

"What?! Yuwen Yue! Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"I did, Brother, but as I said, so many other things have happened that you probably just didn't hear me. Xiao Yu shot both him and A'Chu...I can't even begin to tell you the whole story right now. There's someone there who might be able to save them, but..."

Yu'er sighed. The woman next to him swayed slightly in her saddle, and Xiang noticed for the first time that the blood on her left side was fresh seepage from what was probably a vicious slice wound to her gut. His respect for her rose as he realized how badly she was hurting now—and how badly she apparently wanted to be at his brother's side. As Yu'er once again tried to tend to her in concern, the look on his face made Xiang frown as he realized that his brother had likely fallen for another unsuitable woman.

"What's your name, Miss?" Xiang asked, buying himself some time to think things over.

The woman straightened in the saddle, clasped her hands in front of herself, and bowed slightly.

"Your Highness, your servant's name is Meng Feng. I serve Young Master Yue and have been charged with protecting Prince Yuan Song from harm."

"I thought you seemed familiar," Xiang said. "So you're my brother's personal guard?"

Before Meng Feng could answer, Yu'er's face lit up in that mischievous way that Xiang hadn't seen in ages.

"She's my right hand," he said, grinning impishly.

The woman looked at Yu'er in indulgent exasperation, her expression telling Xiang that she likely returned his brother's affections.

"She's fought at my side all day and is the reason I'm still alive. I don't know what I'd do without her," Yu'er said. "She needs help, Brother. So many others do, too. You can save a lot of lives today; I know you can. Please don't go down the same path that so many others have gone down to their deaths—and the deaths of so many innocents."

 _When did you grow up, Yu'er?_

"How did you get that wound in your side, Miss Meng?" Xiang asked, stalling for time again as his resolve to fight weakened.

"A'Jing, the leader of the Yanbei forces, came for Yuan Song at the base of the mountain," she said calmly. "I stopped him."

Yu'er laughed grimly.

"That's an understatement. She fought and killed one of the best fighters on the field on my behalf. She keeps telling me that her wound isn't that bad, but I can tell from your expression that your experience on the battlefield tells you otherwise. I'm sure that one of those medics you brought along on your grand and glorious conquest can help her, Brother. Please don't make me lose her today, too."

The naked pleading in his brother's eyes was agonizing. Prince Xiang opened his mouth to respond but closed it again, hesitating to let go of such an easy victory that was so clearly within his grasp. Before he could respond, however, Meng Feng slumped in her saddle and appeared to lose consciousness.

"Meng Feng! No!" Yu'er said desperately.

The woman fell out of her saddle and into Yuan Song's right side, and he was unable to catch her with his left hand though he tried desperately to do so. Before she could hit the ground, however, several of the Yanbei soldiers that had been arrayed behind Yu'er rushed over to catch her. They set her down gently, and Yu'er dismounted his horse as swiftly as he could. He gently cradled the woman in his arm, the expression on his face making his feelings clear to all around him.

Yu'er looked up at him pleadingly, and Prince Xiang felt his ambitions melting away.

"Put her on her shield! Hurry!" he barked at a Wei soldier standing nearby.

The man jerked in startlement but instantly obeyed. The Yanbei soldiers helped him, and Yu'er took off his own battered, torn cape and draped it over the woman. He looked up at Xiang in question.

"Tell the men to stand down," he told the officers around them. "Bring half of our medics here immediately. Set up camp at the base of the mountain where it's warmer and tell the rest of the medics to prepare to receive wounded. We only have a little daylight left, and we're going to need every bit of it."

Xiang took a deep breath, committing himself to his chosen path.

"Nobody else is dying today except those we cannot save."

The Wei officers clasped their hands and bowed, quickly going about the tasks he'd given them. Yu'er was still kneeling beside the woman he obviously cared for deeply, unable to take his eyes from her.

The sound of numerous men going to their knees drew his brother's attention, however. As one, the Yanbei soldiers clasped their hands around their weapons, bowed their heads, and pledged their service to his brother. Xiang knew that he would've found the bewildered expression on his brother's face to be amusing under other circumstances, but he couldn't help but be moved at the evidence of how much his brother had matured in the past several months.

Yu'er accepted their service, thanking them for the loyal service they'd rendered so far, and promised to continue to uphold his agreement with them to seek peace for Yanbei on their behalf. A raucous chorus of cheers rang out, and Yu'er gave them one of his boyish grins. Yu'er looked at the woman on the shield as she was raised up by multiple Yanbei soldiers who insisted on carrying their burden for their leader. Her eyes had opened back up and were full of love and pride; his grin stretched even further across his face. She lost consciousness again, however, and his brother's smile disappeared.

"Let's go to the infirmary," Xiang commanded, taking charge for the moment.

Yu'er led the way, his men parting before him so that he and the men carrying Meng Feng behind him could move as quickly as possible. As the shadows lengthened even more, Prince Xiang marveled at the unexpected turn the day had taken.

* * *

While Phoenix wasn't thrilled about those idiots from Wei showing up, she didn't fear them. True, she had to acknowledge that Chu Qiao could die if she had to be moved right now, but Phoenix was confident that she'd be able to keep the Underworld's leader alive long enough to retreat somewhere safer. She wasn't worried about the rest of the Underworld pugilists that had come with her; hiding was something at which they were quite proficient, after all, so why should they be afraid of a bunch of common soldiers?

Phoenix put the soldiers out of her mind and focused on her young charge. Chu Qiao still looked pale and drawn, but she'd lost the deathly pallor she'd had an incense stick or so ago. This method of blood transfer was much easier to do than the direct emergency method they'd developed first; all she had to do was to use the Ice Martial Arts every once in awhile to make sure the blood was flowing smoothly. She had to grudgingly admit that the Yuwen had come through in the beginning of the treatment, though, living up to his promise to do whatever was necessary to save the woman he'd claimed to love.

Not that she felt remotely compelled to save him; on the contrary, she hoped that the Yuwen would die and save them all a great deal of heartbreak. What would he do, after all, when Chu Qiao left him to take her place at the head of the Underworld? Would he let her go easily or would there be a fiercer, harsher war between the Underworld and the Eyes of God than ever before? Yuwens weren't known for letting go of what they believed to belong to them, after all—or for letting go of grudges.

She placed her hand at Chu Qiao's neck, relieved to feel a regular—albeit still somewhat weak—pulse. While so much could go wrong with blood transfers, Phoenix knew Chu Qiao to be a fighter—and a tough kill. Were Phoenix forced to make a prognosis for her patient, she'd give her a reasonable chance of survival and a decent—albeit lesser—likelihood of full recovery. Without the benefit of advanced medicine and more hospitable surroundings, Phoenix was limited in what she could do for the leader of her order.

Mister Wu was currently helping one of the medics treat a serious leg wound on one of the men who had ridden with the young prince and his motley band of misfits. Yuan Song's basic decency and character had shocked her given his heritage; his blood had surprised her in multiple ways. While she hadn't spent much time around him, her overall view of him was positive—except for his naivete, which could be fatal.

 _Of course,_ she mused, _if he can manage to convince that moronic family of his to allow him to marry that Afterlife Camp assassin, she could probably help temper that naivete with some good sense._

Phoenix watched the chaos of the infirmary impassively, feeling no compulsion to help anyone but Chu Qiao. After all, Phoenix had been particularly close to Luo He, so she was the nearest thing that Chu Qiao had to a mother. As such, she was obligated to do her best to care for and protect Chu Qiao—from both physical and emotional harm.

 _Don't worry, Luo He,_ she thought to her old friend and comrade-in-arms. _I won't let your daughter throw away her_ _destiny_ _and your life's work on that Yuwen. I'll see him dead first._

Several Xiuli soldiers entered the infirmary, their eyes scanning the inside as their eyes adjusted to the gloom. Phoenix could see the moment they recognized her, feeling a stab of amusement as these grown men who'd just survived a fearsome battle hesitated to approach her. She stood there darkly, her face a mask as she figured that she should make these men find their courage to approach her on their own.

Finally, one did, coming forward and telling her that he'd been sent here by He Xiao. Phoenix got a bit more petty enjoyment by brandishing her knife at him, figuring that she wasn't likely going to get much more satisfaction out of anything that was going to happen today. She tested them in short order, finding one who matched Chu Qiao, one who matched Xia Chong, and one who matched nobody.

While Phoenix didn't feel obligated to help the rank and file, she did feel compelled to help Xia Chong since she clearly possessed some measure of Ice Martial Arts abilities. Since Phoenix only knew of one way to get those, she wanted to help the young woman-if only to get the rest of the story from her.

 _Besides, if nothing else, she could be an asset to us—especially with a bit of training and care._

She watched Wu Daoya check on that Yuwen again and sneered at the waste of valuable time. Phoenix herself went back to setting up the next blood extraction, the soldier looking nervous but determined. Deciding to be nice, Phoenix gave him a small smile. After all, he was helping Chu Qiao, and she could afford to be generous. The man smiled tentatively back at her, and Phoenix figured that her bit of gratuitous socializing was done for the day.

"So this will help Chu Da Ren?" the soldier asked eagerly.

Phoenix sighed, her dreams of solitude dashed.

"Yes," she said curtly, hoping the soldier would take the hint.

"How?" he asked, staring wide-eyed at Chu Qiao.

 _You wouldn't understand if I told you,_ she almost said.

"I can take your blood, put it in a bag, hang the bag up, and run a piece of intestinal tubing down from the bag to a needle in Chu Qiao's arm."

The soldier goggled at her, clearly unable to comprehend what she'd just said. She sighed again.

"Chu Qiao's mother developed this technique, you know," she said. "She, Mister Wu, and I."

"So that's where she gets it—her smarts, I mean," the soldier said, grinning. "Chu Da Ren's a great fighter, but she's always thinking of ways to make things work—or to get out of bad situations."

"Her mother was like that as well," Phoenix admitted. "Chu Qiao was always more interested in combat than medicine, but that ability to improvise, to somehow pull off a victory when defeat seems certain..."

"What about her father?" the soldier asked eagerly.

Phoenix felt her face harden, and she could tell from the soldier's fearful expression that he'd noticed the change.

"Forget I asked," he said, eyes wide. "I'm sorry. My father and I don't get along, either."

She checked the glass jar, hoping to see it full of blood. No such luck.

"Luo He...had her own issues with men," Phoenix said evasively.

"Say no more," the soldier said, looking like he meant every word. "I understand that, too. At least Chu Da Ren won't have that problem with Young Master Yue."

Phoenix frowned at the soldier.

"You are going to save him, aren't you? Chu Da Ren would be devastated if she lives and Young Master Yue dies."

"You don't understand, boy," Phoenix said gruffly. "There's bad blood between us. He is my enemy—and Chu Qiao's enemy, too, although her memory loss seems to have not been lifted in that area."

"He's not Chu Da Ren's enemy," the soldier said in puzzlement. "She loves him. Everyone knows it. Everyone's seen it. I wish a woman would look at me the way Chu Da Ren looks..."

The soldier blushed, obviously realizing what he'd just said. Phoenix prayed to whatever ancestors were listening that they'd speed up the blood extraction process somehow.

"I know she loves him," Phoenix explained with what she believed to be remarkable patience. "The problem is she can't be allowed to continue to love him. Her destiny is to come back with me and rule the Underworld, not to marry a Yuwen and help him lead our sworn enemies. Luo He—Chu Qiao's mother—would never forgive me if I let that happen."

The soldier sat in silence for long enough that Phoenix hoped she'd shut him up with her logic.

"Listen, um..."

"Phoenix will do," she said, oddly curious at to what the soldier was going to say.

"Okay, Phoenix," he said, looking down then looking up. "Look. I don't know anything about your politics or Chu Da Ren's destiny or anything like that. I do, however, know Chu Da Ren."

"I've known Chu Qiao all her life," Phoenix said. "I think I know her better than you do."

"With all due respect, Phoenix, you know Chu Qiao, the leader of your Underworld. You don't know Chu Da Ren, the General of the Xiuli Legion—what's left of it, anyway. I was there when Chu Da Ren came riding through the gates of Chang'an surrounded by the light of heaven. She came back not for political gain or power or even because it was her destiny; she came back for us simply because she thought it was the right thing to do. She sees us as her responsibility, you see, so she's willing to do anything to keep us safe—even if that means dying beside us."

"Her loyalty to you is commendable—especially since leading you gave her a sense of purpose while her memories were gone. That's in the past now, however; I'm sure she'll come to agree with me eventually."

"No, she won't, Phoenix," the soldier said softly. "She won't. You see, she also sees Young Master Yue as her responsibility, too. Actually, she sees him as hers, period. You weren't close enough to see the look in her eyes when she was wielding Young Master Yue's sword, but I was. Everyone has something they're willing to risk everything for, something they might even be willing to sacrifice their ideals for."

"The Underworld is that for me—and Chu Qiao, too," Phoenix said.

The soldier shook his head.

"Young Master Yue is Chu Da Ren's something—or someone," he said. "She won't turn her back on him. She won't leave him. She won't stop loving him. She won't ever get over his death—or forgive the one who allowed him to die."

"How will she know if nobody tells her?"

"We'll tell her," the soldier vowed. "We won't have a choice. How could we keep something like that from her? How could we lie to her? She's Chu Da Ren."

"None of that will matter in the end. The bad blood between us and the Yuwens-"

"Won't matter in the end," the soldier finished for her. "As I said before, I don't understand or care about your politics. I don't even know what you're going to do with my blood in a few moments. But what I do know is that, if Chu Da Ren were awake, if she were able, she'd be sitting right here where I'm sitting, willing to bleed for me or any of us—or maybe any person who needed her to, period. And for Young Master Yue, she'd pour out all of the blood in her body so he could live."

Phoenix was silent, not seeing the point of arguing any further with the soldier. She hated to admit that his words—especially when coupled with those of his commander's-had taken root in her mind, but she hadn't lived as long as she'd lived—or attained the nominal leadership of the Underworld, for that matter—by being too proud to accept information gathered from unexpected sources.

"I don't understand all of this," the soldier said, gesturing at the needle and tubing in his arm, "but I do understand that my blood and Chu Da Ren's are the same somehow. And since I know that Young Master Yue got like he is now because he gave his blood to Chu Da Ren, that must mean that his blood is the same as mine, too—and the same as hers. How can there be bad blood between Chu Da Ren and Young Master Yue when their blood is obviously the same—and it's his blood that's given her life so far?"

A commotion sounded outside, and Phoenix had rarely been so glad of a distraction—even if it was likely to lead to further unpleasantness. She noted with relief that the soldier's jar was full, so she unhooked him, curtly told him he was free to go, and sent him on his way. As he exited the door, a group of men walked in, followed by a cluster of Yanbei soldiers carrying a woman on a shield. Phoenix realized the likely identity of the man who had followed Yuan Song inside and mentally groaned.

 _Just what I needed today…_

* * *

The ride back to the infirmary had been a blur for Yuan Song as he'd ridden as fast as he could, clearing the way for the men carrying the woman he loved. He now understood Yuwen Yue's anguish and his willingness to do anything, give up everything in order to save his beloved. While he comprehended the importance of keeping the peace between the Wei soldiers and his Yanbei troops, his mind and heart were focused on the contents of the shield his men were carrying into the infirmary behind him.

His eyes instinctively tracked to where he assumed Phoenix would be, and he was right: the woman was currently doing...something...with a...bag of blood? Yuan Song shook his head, concentrating on more important issues than the details. He smiled a little, however, as he noted the improved color in A'Chu's cheeks. The smile turned to a frown, however, when he noticed that there had been no positive changes to Yuwen Yue's condition.

Before he could address that situation, however, Mister Wu came up to Meng Feng, comprehended the situation immediately, and matter-of-factly got down to business. He erected a folding screen around a bed in one of the corners; Yuan Song figured that maybe he'd used that when he'd worked on Xia Chong. A'Chu had not been given that extra bit of dignity, but he figured that perhaps the situation had been too dire and chaotic for such considerations.

As his woman disappeared from view, he forced himself to take charge of the situation and do his duty. His brother was currently standing next to Yuwen Yue's bed, a frown of displeasure on his face as he argued with Phoenix. Yuan Song's face hardened as he figured out what was likely happening. He looked up to see He Xiao at his side, a look of calculating determination on his face. Their eyes met, and Yuan Song knew that he'd guessed right. He nodded almost imperceptibly at the warrior.

"Just as I promised, Phoenix, I've brought you many more volunteers," He Xiao said, clasping his hands and bowing to the woman.

Yuan Song felt a pulse of satisfaction as he noted the swiftly-hidden astonishment in the woman's eyes as Xiulis, Yue guards, and even an assortment of his own men poured in through the infirmary, overcrowding it to an almost painful degree.

"So you have," Phoenix said. "I'm sure that we'll be able to find enough volunteers to provide Chu Qiao with the necessary blood to survive."

"Don't forget that my blood's compatible," Yuan Song said enthusiastically.

The look on his brother's face was priceless.

"Compatible?" his brother asked in confusion. "Compatible for what?"

"For A'Chu," Yuan Song said. "Apparently, A'Chu's mother came up with a way to take blood from one person and give it to another who needs it desperately—so long as the blood matches, of course."

His brother's eyes widened.

"That's what I was about to do when you showed up, Brother. I was going to let Phoenix take some of my blood so she could put it in A'Chu."

"I'm glad I got here in time, then. That sounds dangerous."

"Not at all, Your Highness," He Xiao interrupted. "I've had it done to me and I'm alright, as you can see."

"Obviously," his brother said.

"In fact, I told Phoenix I'd even be willing to volunteer again if necessary," He Xiao said. "Especially since Phoenix told me that she'd be willing to save one of my men if I found enough compatible volunteers."

Yuan Song looked over at Phoenix, who was surrounded by a large group of men, fanatical looks on all of their faces. He couldn't help but grin at the sight. The grin slid off his face, however, when Mister Wu emerged from behind the screen and walked up to Yuan Song.

"She should be alright with enough rest and care," the man said without preamble.

Yuan Song slumped in relief.

"Her prognosis would improve if better medicine were available," Mister Wu said.

Yuan Song once again turned his pleading gaze to his brother. Prince Xiang harrumphed softly and spoke to one of his men who'd been standing discreetly in a corner.

"She'll have it," Xiang said.

"Thank you, Brother," Yuan Song said, choking up for a moment. "Now..."

"Now we're going to save Yuwen Yue, right?"

"How did you-?"

"How long have I been a general?"

"Long enough to recognize a setup when you see one?"

"Exactly. So let's spring this trap so we can leave. It stinks in here."

"Right. Now, Brother...You're going to have to let He Xiao and I handle this."

"What do you mean?"

"Phoenix is a stubborn woman with a bad history with Yuwen Yue since she's Underworld and he's the leader of the Eyes of God. If you attack her directly, she'll dig in all the harder. If you come at her more subtly..."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Brother. Why not just tell her I'll raze this place to the ground and kill everyone she cares about if she doesn't cooperate?"

"Because then she won't do what you want just out of spite—and she doesn't care about anyone but Chu Qiao. Let He Xiao and I handle this, Brother. Please."

Xiang growled in response, but Yuan Song recognized that particular noise of concession from when they were boys. He turned his attention to the other side of the room where Phoenix had clearly made headway in the testing process. A handful of excited-looking men stood off to the side, obviously the compatible volunteers. He Xiao beamed in contentment.

"I see you've found plenty of matches, Phoenix," Yuan Song said, grinning.

"So I have," the woman said in a harried tone.

"Will that be enough to save A'Chu?" he asked.

"More than enough," she replied. "Don't worry; Chu Qiao will be well soon enough."

"So that means you'll be able to save my man after all," He Xiao said, stepping forward and smiling.

Phoenix sighed.

"I'm busy now, but I suppose I have enough volunteers lined up that I can spare a few minutes to save your man," she said, pulling what looked like a fresh device from inside her robes. "Which one is he?"

He Xiao gave that fierce, triumphant grin of his and strode confidently over to Yuwen Yue's bedside. Phoenix was not amused.

"You told me that one of your men needed saving," Phoenix said in exasperation. "Yuwen Yue's not your man."

"Actually, Phoenix, Yuwen Yue's more my man than most of the men here. I've pledged my life and loyalty to Chu Da Ren's service, and that extends to taking care of the people she loves. She's publicly claimed him in such a way, which makes him my responsibility."

"That's just a matter of semantics," Phoenix said in irritation. "I don't have time for this foolishness."

"You did say that you could give surplus blood to anyone compatible, didn't you?" He Xiao pressed.

"That's what I've heard, too," a faint feminine voice said from a nearby bed.

"Meng Feng!" Yuan Song gasped, whirling around and making his way to his beloved.

She was in one of the few beds near Xia Chong, but not too far from Yuwen Yue. While she was pale and drawn, Yuan Song trusted Wu Daoya's diagnosis. He smiled encouragingly at the woman he loved.

"As I said earlier, she'll be fine with a bit of rest and good medicine. She insisted on being in a place where she could watch things unfold, however, and I didn't see a point to deny her that," Mister Wu said, smiling.

"Thank you," Yuan Song said softly.

"This is all very moving," Phoenix said, "but we all have work to do."

"Yes, we do have work to do," Yuan Song said. "You have your extra volunteers, so now it's time to fulfill your end of the bargain you made with He Xiao."

"I made no bargain," Phoenix scoffed. "All I told him was something I theoretically could do—but he deceived me using linguistic tricks, so now I'm not honor-bound to fulfill anything."

"But-"

Yuan Song felt a hand press on his shoulder before his brother brushed past him and stopped in front of Phoenix.

"Ah, just the person I wanted to talk to some more," Phoenix said snidely.

"You should want to talk to me some more since I can give you something you want," Xiang said.

"What could you possibly have that I could want?"

"Medicine," Xiang said. "The best medicine. You save Yuwen Yue with...whatever it is you're doing here, and I'll make sure that both he and Chu Qiao have the best medicine, the best treatment, the best recovery supplies, everything."

Phoenix frowned, obviously deep in thought. Yuan Song held his breath, and he could tell he wasn't the only one. He felt a soft squeeze on his hand and almost jumped until he realized that Meng Feng had grabbed it. Yuan Song grasped his beloved's hand tighter and squeezed back.

"There's one other I'll need help treating," Phoenix said. "A woman named Xia Chong, who somehow possesses a portion of the Ice Martial Arts abilities passed down through Luo He. Naturally, I want to know how she came by those abilities, but she's hurt severely."

"Done," Xiang said without hesitation. "Start treating Yuwen Yue, and I'll send some of my men down the mountain to get the medicine."

Phoenix scowled as she walked over to Yuwen Yue, but she began the procedure of hooking him up to the device nevertheless.

"You, go down to the camp and bring up my chest of medicine. You know the one," Xiang ordered one soldier. "You, stay here and get this woman anything she asks for. If she tells you to make a dragon statue out of snow, you ask her how big she wants it, understand?"

Yuan Song watched in fascination as his brother took command, seeing a side of him he'd never truly gotten to observe before. His respect for his brother grew. Xiang caught his eye and smiled.

"I'm sorry I doubted you, Brother," Yuan Song said.

"Well, I have been doing this a little longer than you have," he replied. "Your and He Xiao's subtle attack worked well for a while and got us into position, but sometimes..."

"Sometimes directness is best," Yuan Song said.

"I'll have to remember you said that later," Meng Feng said from behind him.

Yuan Song turned around and beamed down at the woman he loved.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say that you were in on this plan, too," he whispered.

Meng Feng widened her eyes innocently, blinking up at him.

"How could I have done such a thing in my current condition?"

"By using your current condition to your advantage," Xiang said dryly.

"What do you mean, Brother?"

"Don't you find it slightly coincidental that she just happened to fall out of her saddle when I was trying to objectively make a decision about what I should do?"

"Surely not, Brother. Meng Feng's not...that..."

Yuan Song looked down at his woman, who was smiling impishly up at him.

"Meng Feng!" Yuan Song whispered loudly. "Were you…? No, you couldn't have been faking...unless Mister Wu..."

"She most definitely wasn't faking her injury, Prince," Mister Wu said, appearing beside him. "Had she waited much longer...well...the prognosis wouldn't have been nearly as good as it is. In fact, she should've received treatment earlier."

"She told me she was fine," Yuan Song said dejectedly.

"And you actually believed her?" Xiang asked, laughing.

"Of course I did! Why wouldn't I? Why would I expect...I always get tricked," Yuan Song said, hanging his head.

"I'm sorry," Meng Feng said softly. "But I couldn't leave you alone to face everything on your own. I didn't want to risk losing you."

"But I almost lost you, Meng Feng. Then where would I be?"

Yuan Song felt as if they were suddenly the only two people in the room. He cupped her cheek in his hand, looking down at his woman with his heart in his eyes. Her own eyes were sparkling with myriad emotions, many of which made his heart pound. Carefully, she lifted one of her hands and placed it over his, looking deeply into his eyes. He lost himself in hers, unaware of anything else going on.

Xiang cleared his throat uneasily, and the moment was cut abruptly short. Yuan Song straightened back up, and Meng Feng let go of his hand, blushing.

"At least we can tell that her color is good, Prince," He Xiao boomed from behind him, laughing.

The rest of the Xiulis in the room joined in the laughter, and the atmosphere lightened considerably. Yuan Song knew that there was much work left to be done, but he knew that if they worked hard enough, they'd be able to save their friends.

"Since you were so enthusiastic to save this Yuwen, you can be the first one to give some of your blood for him," Phoenix said from behind him.

Yuan Song beamed at her, holding out his arm enthusiastically as his woman looked on, pride in her eyes. Phoenix's sigh was music to his ears.

* * *

AN: Now everyone's on the road to recovery, so we can get moving towards a satisfactory resolution. Next week: Awakening. Two weeks out: Nighttime recovery. Three weeks out: Daytime recovery. Four weeks out: More daytime recovery; life starts to move on for the others.

Musical selection: "Stand By You" by Rachel Platten. Irum Jaan's cover is respectable, too.

Translation updates: Angel Chua has translated another section of the novel into English and has updated her fanfiction, "Secret Princess," at princessagents dot wordpress dot com.


	12. Chapter 12

AN: I'm glad that "Awakening" was so well-received (and that it managed to offset last week's lack of XingYue a bit;P). I would say I've assembled a bare-bones plot for it, but honestly, the plot currently resembles a bleached skeleton with multiple body parts missing. But I'm working on it in addition to ending this one, and it'll hopefully be ready to go in a few months. I figured there'd be a high demand in this fandom for a fic that's both set in an early-QSY-like world and unapologetically XingYue from the get-go; I'm really looking forward to exploring such a world. Some of y'all have asked for a release timeline for that, and the answer is, more or less, one week after whenever I wrap this one up. (Or more if it hasn't come together well enough for me; we'll see.) But we still have a while to go on this one, folks, so let's get to it.

* * *

Dong Fang Ji was glad that the entire city was in chaos over the events of the past few days so that he could come to this prison and take care of this last inconvenience on his own. How Yuan Song had survived the battle as a one-armed cripple was a mystery to him, but the end result was a total disaster. He'd always known that Xiang had a weak streak in him, but he'd believed that he'd be able to get rid of that by giving the prince a taste of conquest.

His spies in the Wei army had told him that Yuan Song had defeated his older brother not with swords but with words and emotional appeals. Now instead of conquering Yanbei, Prince Yuan Che, the man who would likely become the emperor of Wei in a few months or so, was actually helping the people he could've defeated easily. As with Duke Dingbei, Dong Fang Ji had apparently overestimated Xiang's ability to put aside personal issues in the pursuit of power and fortune.

The spy who was curled up in the cell at which Dong Fang Ji had stopped smiled pathetically at him and leaped to his feet.

"I knew you'd come, Master!" he said. "I did just what you said! I made sure that Prince Yuan Song had the means to reach Xiuli Mountain while the battle was still going on. Did we win? We did, right?"

His now-former spy never saw the single crossbow bolt that embedded itself in his chest, piercing his heart. Dong Fang Ji spun around and walked away, not giving the man a backward glance. He didn't tolerate failure in his subordinates, after all, and needed to clean up all the loose ends that might be able to betray him at some point.

 _Well, not all of my loose ends,_ he admitted to himself as he left the prison without being spotted. _One of them may yet be useful to me._

Before he knew it, Dong Fang Ji found himself outside the city and at the port. The familiar outline of the boat he was seeking greeted him in the early-morning light, and he confidently walked aboard as the man's servants noted his identity and bowed. The man he'd come to see was faced away from him in his wheeled chair, looking out at the river before him.

"So how did your venture go this time?" Zhan Ziyu asked without turning around. "Has His Highness conquered Yanbei and named you its ruler yet?"

Dong Fang Ji ground his teeth in irritation. He didn't know how much the other man knew, but Zhan Ziyu clearly knew enough to feel confident in needling his former fellow student.

"Unfortunately, His Highness encountered some setbacks," Dong Fang Ji said, slowly walking up to Zhan Ziyu.

"What a shame," Zhan Ziyu said, the hints of a smug smile playing on his lips.

"Oh, yes, it is a shame," Dong Fang Ji replied. "Yanbei was ours for the taking, except that Prince Yuan Song managed to survive somehow."

"You sound so surprised that someone who's lost an arm managed to survive such a large battle."

"Of course I am," Dong Fang Ji said, looking down at Zhan Ziyu. "After all, you should know about how difficult living with a disability can be."

He felt a savage satisfaction as his veiled insult hit the mark.

"Indeed, dealing with my handicap can be difficult," Zhan Ziyu said, taking a sip of wine from an exquisite cup his servant had brought him. "My disability, however, can cause various people to underestimate me—to their own peril, of course. Just like you underestimated the young prince, it seems."

"It is a pity," Dong Fang Ji said, running a hand over his mustache. "Yuan Che was too weak to do what needed to be done, and I simply didn't see that until it was too late."

"And now you're probably not exactly welcome at his side," Zhan Ziyu said, smirking.

"He'd rather have the counsel of that weakling brother of his," he said.

"And Yuwen Yue," Zhan Ziyu needled. "Oh, yes, I can see why you would want to lay low for awhile."

"Who said anything about laying low? Maybe I just wanted to visit an old friend—and to pass on some fresh news relevant to his interests."

"Come, now, old friend," Zhan Ziyu said. "There's no need for such pretensions between us. Weren't you recently saying how close we'd become over the years?"

"Ah, yes, I remember," Dong Fang Ji said, putting the bulk of his plan into motion. "In honor of that closeness, I'm going to tell you something now that will allow you to make your escape in time."

"Escape?" Zhan Ziyu said, sipping again from his wine cup. "You're the one in need of escape, Dong Fang Ji, not me."

"Normally I'd agree with you, old friend," Dong Fang Ji said, affecting a look of concern on his face. "However, my spies in the Wei army informed me that Yuan Song's coalition of fighters won the battle because the Underworld showed up to fight—under the leadership of Phoenix, no less."

The swiftness with which Zhan Ziyu's face paled made the tedium of the past few minutes worth every moment of annoyance.

"It would be a pity if the Underworld were to learn of your presence here given the circumstances—especially if they were to find out that you lent me some of your men to cause trouble in Yanbei."

"Nobody can prove anything," Zhan Ziyu said, his smugness gone.

"Nobody has to prove anything, as you well know," Dong Fang Ji said. "My spies also tell me that Chu Qiao has been acknowledged as Luo He's daughter publicly and that she's regained her memories. I wonder just how much she knows..."

Zhan Ziyu was silent, obviously deep in thought.

"Oh, yes," Dong Fang Ji said pensively. "I almost forgot: Somehow, our old friend Xia Chong was also present at the battle. She was wounded in a fight with Xiao Yu, who did not survive the conflict. While Xia Chong is weak, there's a decent chance that she'll recover. I'm sure that she'll have a fascinating story to tell to Chu Qiao once she's able."

"Perhaps Yanbei has grown too cold for us both, old friend," Zhan Ziyu said at last. "In fact, I think I fancy a trip down south, don't you?"

"These old bones could certainly stand to move to warmer lands," Dong Fang Ji said, grinning. "Thank you for inviting me along; your hospitality is commendable. Don't worry about me, old friend; I remember the way to the guest cabin."

Dong Fang Ji turned around and swaggered towards the staircase that would take him below deck. He stopped at the door and turned around, noting that Zhan Ziyu was now talking to a most unsavory-looking character who seemed familiar. Dong Fang Ji mentally shrugged and continued on, ready and willing to leave the cares of the world behind for a time.

 _I'll find someone else to exploit, some other avenue of attaining power;_ _I always do. Besides, keeping track of Luo He's daughter won't be that difficult, so I'll have plenty of chances to take care of that little problem later. Maybe someone in the southlands will be interested in gaining some power and influence—with the help of yours truly, of course. Liang's crown prince always seemed like an idle, dissolute fellow; maybe he'll be ripe for the picking._

The ship gave a lurch as it slipped out of port, and Dong Fang Ji smiled in relief. A servant came in and put a pot of tea and some cups on the table, bowing as he left. Dong Fang Ji poured himself a cup and sardonically toasted his old friend.

 _Life goes on, indeed,_ he thought as he sipped the excellent tea from its equally-exquisite cup.

* * *

The first thing Yuwen Yue became aware of was the cold. He knew that for him, being cold was bad because of his illness, so he tried his hardest to wake up. Why was it so cold? Where was he? Qing Shan Yuan? The Meilin border? Xiuli Mountain?

All of a sudden, an image of Xing'er falling to the ground, blood welling everywhere and staining the snow red raced through his mind. Yuwen Yue felt a bolt of energy crackle through him as his fear for Xing'er grabbed hold of him and pulled him out of the darkness.

"X'er," he rasped softly, his voice cracking from dryness.

His eyes flew open and he did his best to take in his surroundings as quickly as he could. He was lying in a bed, which was reasonably comfortable and outfitted with nice bedding. Yuwen Yue recognized that he was in a tent that resembled the one he'd stayed in when he'd been in the Chang'an military camp. He relaxed slightly as he assumed that those who had been taking care of him were allies since he wasn't in a jail cell—or dead.

As he scanned the room, his eyes landed on a sword rack that was currently holding Po Yue Jian. His blood ran cold because right beneath his own sword sat Can Hong Jian, its hilt gleaming dully in the light of the fire burning in the brazier in the middle of the tent.

"No," he whispered hoarsely, tears forming in his eyes. "X'er..."

 _There aren't many possible positive explanations for Can Hong Jian's presence here. Xing'er would've never given up that sword voluntarily—especially not after…_

His eyes closed in pain as images from the last day he could remember—whenever that was-assaulted himH he relived Xing'er's passionate kisses, her declaration of love, and the way the fire had burned in her eyes as she'd fought by his side. The memory of the fierceness in her bearing when she'd yelled at Phoenix—and the battlefield at large—that he was the man she loved caused a fresh set of tears to trace their way down his cheeks.

 _After I gave her my blood, she seemed to be improving. Maybe Phoenix..._

Familiar footsteps sounded outside the entrance to the tent, so he quickly wiped the evidence of his grief from his face. He was, after all, Yuwen Yue, general of Wei, leader of the Eyes of God, wielder of Po Yue Jian...Fresh tears pooled in his eyes and threatened to spill over as thoughts of Po Yue Jian led to thoughts of Can Hong Jian—and its owner.

Yuwen Yue tried to compose himself as Yue Qi walked into the tent, but he could tell he'd been unsuccessful by the alarmed expression on his faithful servant's face.

"Xing'er's alive," Yue Qi blurted, rushing up to the side of the bed.

Yuwen Yue stared at his right-hand man in incomprehension for a few moments, his mouth gaping open in an uncharacteristic display of open confusion. His eyes returned to the sword rack, and he saw Yue Qi follow his gaze and then pale.

"Xing'er's alive, but she won't be in any condition to swing a sword any time soon," Yue Qi said. "We brought both swords with us when we brought you down the mountain last night after moving Xing'er to the barracks to convalesce."

He slumped over, the emotional whiplash of the past few minutes sapping the limited strength he'd had upon waking. Yue Qi began to speak of the various things that had happened since Yuwen Yue had lost consciousness, but he found himself incapable of focusing on more than the most important fact for too long.

 _Xing'er's alive._

"...and the peace seems to be holding, but..."

 _Xing'er's alive._

"...Underworld people seem to have disappeared except for Phoenix..."

 _Xing'er's alive._

"Master?"

Yuwen Yue jolted back awake.

"Sorry, Yue Qi," he murmured. "I'm still a bit tired, I think."

"Just a bit?" his guard captain said, eyes twinkling.

"Well, I did expend a lot of energy...how long ago was the battle?"

"Two days ago, Master."

"I see. Just give me a few moments, Yue Qi, and I'll do my best to get up. I know I have a lot of work to do."

 _I have to see Xing'er._

"You'll do no such thing, Master," Yue Qi said, his eyes widening in alarm. "His Highness would send me to the depths of the nastiest prison he could find if I let you out of this bed before you're ready."

"I _am_ ready," Yuwen Yue said, attempting to get out of bed to prove his point.

His legs buckled beneath him, however, and only Yue Qi's timely assistance kept him from adding another set of bumps and bruises to what he could tell was an extensive collection.

"Your orders—straight from His Highness, I might add—are for you to do nothing but rest and heal until you're able to do otherwise. After all, we took the risk of bringing you down from the mountaintop because we knew you'd be able to heal better where it's warmer."

 _I would've rather stayed closer to Xing'er._

"I know you probably would've preferred to stay with Xing'er, but we felt that leaving you in the deep cold and moving Xing'er down the mountain were both too risky."

Yuwen Yue scowled at Yue Qi, trying to figure out if his right hand had somehow developed the ability to read his mind. He mentally shrugged and did his best to order his thoughts. Of course, they returned to the same place as before.

"Take Can Hong Jian back to Xing'er," he ordered his servant. "Also take some smaller weapons she'll be able to use in an emergency like her crossbow and assassin's knives. Make sure they're all within easy reach—and easy sight."

"Yes, Master," Yue Qi said, clasping his hands and bowing his head. "You get some more rest, and I'll take care of Xing'er."

Yuwen Yue nodded his head but was already thinking of ways to sneak away from camp later. Yue Qi turned to leave, but hesitated at the entrance of the tent. Slowly, he turned around and walked to an area outside of Yuwen Yue's field of vision. He walked back with a black bundle in his hands that he set down on a table that Yuwen Yue could easily see. Recognition flared in his eyes and he looked at Yue Qi in question.

"I washed and fixed them for you, Master," Yue Qi said, eyes twinkling again. "I thought you might need them again later—if someone else were to attack us, for instance."

"Thank you, Yue Qi," Yuwen Yue said, the corners of his mouth quirking. "You're right: We should always be prepared."

"I thought you'd feel that way, Master," he said, pulling out a small box that drew an audible gasp from Yuwen Yue.

Yue Qi, to his credit, pretended not to notice the noise or the emotional look that Yuwen Yue knew was on his face.

"I thought I'd lost that," Yuwen Yue whispered. "I looked for it at our hideout, but when I didn't find it, I assumed that some Yanbei soldier had found himself a gift for his sweetheart—or whoever he'd be paying to be his sweetheart that particular night."

"I managed to grab some things as we were fleeing," Yue Qi said. "I knew how important this was to you and it was so small, so I took it before we left."

Yuwen Yue nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

"Anyway, I'm under orders from His Highness to bring you some food, drink, and medicine now that you've awakened, but you should rest in the time it takes me to prepare those things."

"I think you're right, Yue Qi," Yuwen Yue said. "After all, as I said earlier, we should always be prepared."

"And if you rest now and eat later, Master, you might find yourself with a bit of restless energy tonight."

"Indeed, I might," Yuwen Yue said calmly, closing his eyes.

He heard Yue Qi leave and allowed himself a small smile of anticipation. Before he could stop it, the smile transformed itself into a wide grin as he allowed sleep to take him, thoughts of his beloved filling his head as he lost consciousness.

* * *

Meng Feng acknowledged that she probably should be safely tucked in bed in a nice, warm tent somewhere, but she'd finally annoyed Miss Yu so much that the poor woman had practically chased her out of the infirmary. While Meng Feng knew that she should feel at least a little bit guilty about her behavior, her desire to find Yuan Song pushed any bad feelings she might've had to the back of her mind.

Besides, the sun was already high in the sky, and she'd spent all of yesterday in bed. Her midsection still pained her greatly, but she knew enough about such injuries from experience to figure that as long as she was careful not to reopen the wound, she would be fine. She was also in high spirits because Yue Qi had recently told her that Yuwen Yue had awakened and had been well enough to drink some water and medicine—and to ask him to check in on Xing'er, of course. Yue Qi had been optimistic that their master would be well enough to eat some solid food at the evening meal.

Meng Feng had walked all over the mountaintop camp, but she hadn't seen Yuan Song anywhere. Part of her hoped that the man she loved had decided to spend some time with his brother down in the camp at the base of the mountain, but another part of her wanted to think that he would wait for her to be able to leave with him first.

 _That's a foolish thought to have,_ Meng Feng berated herself. _You should want what's best for Yuan Song, which is obviously leaving this sad, cold place behind forever._

Acting on instinct, Meng Feng carefully picked her way along the thin ribbon of mountain trail that led up to a certain ridge. She spotted a familiar bootprint in the snow that had recovered parts of the trail, and she smiled sadly but with relief as she realized that it was fresh. Her pace quickened and she was soon at the top, her side howling in protest. As always, she ignored the pain.

She spotted the prince easily from the top of the trail, dressed as he was in a resplendent set of Yanbei armor that had likely either belonged to some now-dead general or been gifted to him by a living one. He'd apparently decided to keep his burgundy cape, which had been freshly laundered. In spite of the circumstances, Meng Feng couldn't help but be affected by the handsomeness of the man she loved.

He was standing forlornly near the edge of the ridge, staring out over the battlefield that still bore significant scars from the fight that had taken place on it just two days ago. Her eyes were instinctively drawn first to the wooded area where she'd found the bodies of Xiao Yu and Chun'er and then to the tree under which she'd found Xia Chong as she made her way past them to her beloved.

Yuan Song whirled around in surprise when he heard the soft crunch of snow behind him, and his eyes widened further when he recognized her.

"Meng Feng? What are you doing all the way up here? You're not...You shouldn't be here."

"Where else would I be?"

"Resting, of course—either in the infirmary or down the mountain."

"Don't worry, Your Highness-"

"You called me by my name a few days ago, Meng Feng," he said wistfully. "Can you go back to that?"

"If that's what you want...Yuan Song."

He smiled at her, making her heart turn over. Something about his eyes was different; their intensity caused multiple conflicting feelings to rise up within her.

"Well, if I can't have you in bed, then I'll have to settle for you calling me by my name, I guess."

Meng Feng's eyes widened and Yuan Song blushed badly as he realized what he'd said.

"I mean...I didn't mean...What I meant was you need to be resting in bed, Meng Feng."

"Well, fortunately, Miss Yu said that I could leave the infirmary as long as I took things easy and relaxed for the next few days," she said.

He looked at her pointedly, and it was her turn to look a bit sheepish.

"Well, 'easy' is a relative term, isn't it, Yuan Song?"

His face lost all traces of happiness as memories of the last few days seemed to wipe them away.

"Compared to what we were doing a few days ago..."

"There are definitely more difficult things I could be doing now," Meng Feng said, determined to lighten the mood of her beloved like she'd been doing for...had she really only known him for weeks?

"Like what?" Yuan Song asked.

"Like trying to get Phoenix to smile."

Yuan Song's mouth twitched a little.

"Or trying to get any of the Xiulis to stop standing guard over Chu Qiao in the barracks."

"I wouldn't wish that task on my worst enemy."

"Me neither."

"I have one," Yuan Song said, his smile growing. "You could be trying to convince my brother that A'Chu is the right woman for Yuwen Yue."

"Now you're just being cruel, Yuan Song," Meng Feng said, a grin of her own forming.

"No, I have an even better one. You could be trying to convince Phoenix to be best friends with Yuwen Yue."

"Rest is sounding better by the moment."

"I knew you'd see things my way."

"I'm not opposed to resting, Yuan Song," Meng Feng said softly. "I just had...other things to do."

"Like what?" he asked, his tone light but his face serious.

"Well, I wanted to check in on Chu Qiao, of course, and Xia Chong, and then I ran into Yue Qi—who told me that the master woke up this morning. I forgot to tell you."

"Really?" Yuan Song asked, beaming. "That's great. I take it Yue Qi gave you a favorable report?"

"He did," Meng Feng confirmed. "He seemed to think that the master would be up and about soon. Given the twinkle that was in his eye when he said it..."

"I think I can add another difficulty to our list, Meng Feng," he said mischievously. "Keeping Yuwen Yue from sneaking up here to see A'Chu tonight."

Meng Feng's eyes widened.

"I'm sure that the master will do whatever's necessary to protect the woman he loves," she said.

"He's good at that," Yuan Song said, suddenly becoming a bit nervous.

"Yes, he is," Meng Feng said, unsure of what was bothering the prince.

To her surprise, he squared his shoulders and took a few steps towards her, stopping when he was just across from her. Her eyes widened as he took his burgundy cape in his hand and drew it around her before pulling her close with his arm. She stood stiffly in shock for a few seconds before melting against him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder. The hardness of the armor didn't bother her in the slightest.

"So are you, Meng Feng," he said huskily as he rested his head on hers. "Thank you for protecting me. I never would've survived without you."

"I was just doing my job, Yuan Song," she said. "After all, that was my assignment."

"Is that really all you were doing, Meng Feng?" he asked softly. "Your job? Your assignment? Your duty?"

She released his waist and stepped back, surprising him as she backed her way out of his arm and cape.

"Of course not, Yuan Song," she said, looking him in the eye. "I was glad to protect you. After all, you're the future ruler of Yanbei, the close friend of my master, and...someone I've come to..."

Meng Feng looked down after saying that last part, her courage suddenly failing her.

 _I fought in a battle I thought I might not survive two days ago and I can't even speak clearly to the man I love. Not that Yuan Song seems to be able to say much, either…_

"Hopefully I won't have to protect you anymore, though," she said into the silence. "Now that the war's over and the fighting's done..."

"Actually, Meng Feng, I was hoping..." Yuan Song trailed off, uncertainty written on his face. "I was hoping that you'd be willing to continue protecting me for a long time...the rest of your life, even."

Meng Feng felt here heart rate double as the implication of what might be happening hit her squarely in the chest like an arrow on a battlefield.

"I see," she said, keeping her voice steady. "So you want to hire me as the captain of your guard? I'm sure that Yuwen Yue would allow me to work for you in such a way."

"Actually, Meng Feng, I was hoping you'd take a more...hands-on role," Yuan Song said, shifting uneasily on his feet.

"Ah, like a personal guard, then," Meng Feng said, smiling.

Yuan Song blushed and ran his hand over his hair in an awkward, nervous manner that Meng Feng found adorably endearing.

"Um...yes...very personal."

"Like Yue Qi is for Young Master Yue?" Meng Feng couldn't resist asking.

"Um...actually...more like A'Chu is for Yuwen Yue."

"Or like I am for Yuwen Yue?"

The flustered look on Yuan Song's face made Meng Fung smile, but she decided to show mercy and stop teasing him.

 _At least he's not thinking about his sister anymore,_ she mused.

"Yuan Song, you could have any...guard you want now," she said, her smile fading. "Why would you choose me?"

"Because I already know who you are, Meng Feng," Yuan Song said. "Any other...guard would be someone I would be meeting for the first time—someone who might represent themselves dishonestly for money or political gain. I already know what you're capable of; I've seen it with my own eyes. I know we can work well together, can make things happen. Because you're the best...and I only want the best."

Yuan Song's voice had deepened as he'd told her these things until he'd said the last part in a low, husky tone. Meng Feng stared into his eyes, knowing that the next few minutes were going to shape her life profoundly.

"So I come highly recommended?" she asked, a small smile reemerging on her mouth.

"Nobody else even comes close to matching what I want in a...guard, Meng Feng," he said. "Besides, as I told my brother, you're my right hand. How could I go through the rest of my life without my right hand?"

"Everyone's going to be throwing their...guards at you, or trying to become one," Meng Feng said, wanting to address this particular issue now. "I understand the ways of the world. I know a man of your status will be expected to have many...guards. What makes you think that you'll be satisfied with someone like me when you end up with numerous...guards who aren't scarred-up killers?"

A gentle look of compassion formed on Yuan Song's face as he once again draped his cape around Meng Feng and tugged her close. He didn't pull her all the way to him, though, so that she could still look into his eyes.

"I already told you, Meng Feng, that I only want the best. If I have you to protect me, then why would I ever need anyone else? If you'll agree to become my personal guard, then I'll never need to hire another because I'll already have the very best. And as for scars...I probably have you beaten with..."

He trailed off as he cocked his head towards his right side, where she could now see the balled-up material that was stuffed in the right armhole of his armor.

"Some of the other applicants might have a problem with my scars, in fact," Yuan Song said.

"While I'm sure that would deal a damaging blow to you ego, I can't say I'd be sorry to see them feel that way," she said.

Yuan Song gave her a shy smile before going serious again.

"And as for being a killer...I've killed men, too, now," he said. "I killed them because I had to do so. I killed them because they were trying to kill me. I killed them because they were trying to kill you and the other people I care for. I didn't enjoy the killing any more than you did. I hope I never have to kill anyone again."

"You won't if I have anything to say about it," Meng Feng vowed. "That will be my job—as your personal guard, I mean."

"So you'll take the job?" Yuan Song asked. "Will you be my personal guard, Meng Feng?"

"That depends on the salary and benefits," Meng Feng said, smiling. "I want to make sure I won't be getting cheated, you know."

"I would never do such a thing, Meng Feng!" Yuan Song said dramatically. "You will, of course, have plenty of money for beautiful clothes and jewelry."

She stared at him blankly.

"Or weapons—or whatever you want!"

She smiled serenely.

"I suppose that's acceptable, although I've never been concerned with such things. Continue."

"Right. So...I can also offer you the opportunity to spend time with the upper echelons of Yanbei's government."

Meng Feng looked at him skeptically. Yuan Song sighed.

"Okay, so maybe that's not a selling point. Let's see...I can guarantee that you'll have full control over planning palace security."

She smiled widely at him, nodding her head.

"I offer you money and power and _that's_ what you approve of most?"

"That's the only thing that matters to me," she said softly, winding her arms around his waist again.

"That's how I know you're right for this job, Meng Feng," Yuan Song said. "You're the only one who could ever fill this position so perfectly. You're the only one I could trust with my life—and myself. You're the only one I could ever want, Meng Feng."

Her throat closed, so all she could do was nod.

"Share my life with me," he whispered down at her, looking deeply into her eyes. "Help me rule Yanbei. Be my princess."

Tears filled her eyes as she nodded again, a wide, serene smile forming on her face. She closed the small distance between them and tightened her arms around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder again and closing her eyes in blissful happiness. He rubbed her back gently through the cape for a few moments before slowly sliding his arm up around her shoulders.

Meng Feng looked up at him in question, her mouth only a few inches from his as his intentions became obvious. His eyes suddenly filled with shyness and self-consciousness as he seemed to struggle with what to do next.

"I'm sorry I'll never be able to hold you like you should be held by a man, Meng Feng, but I promise I'll do my best to-"

Meng Feng unwound her arms from around his waist and put them behind the back of his neck instead. She pulled his head down those last few inches and kissed him, unwilling to allow him to see himself as anything less than the man that she knew him to be. His hand snaked into her hair as he angled her head just right and kissed her back, and time lost all meaning.

"Just like you, Yuan Song, I only want the best—and I've found him," she said softly after pulling back slightly.

She tilted her head up towards his again and moved closer, but to her surprise and dismay, he stepped back and stopped her. Frowning, she looked up at him in question. All of a sudden, a silly grin broke out on his face as he allowed his own joy to shine through.

"As much as I'd like to stand here and do this with you all day, Meng Feng, we probably should step back a bit from the edge of this ridge," he said, still grinning manically. "After all, kissing you is quite distracting, and falling to our deaths on our engagement day after surviving a terrible battle would be a terrible way to end our lives."

Meng Feng stared up at him in shock before breaking into peals of laughter, startling them both. She couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed so hard—or the last time she'd wanted to.

 _He brings that out in me,_ she acknowledged.

They walked back to the tree line, his arm around her shoulder and hers around his waist. The peaceful contentment that was radiating off of her beloved seemed almost out of place in an area that had recently represented only pain and death for them. His previous shyness had been replaced by an obvious confidence that warmed her in spite of the cold.

 _I bring that out in him,_ she thought, smiling.

Yuan Song stopped a short distance near the place where they'd found Chun'er and pulled her close to him again, resting his head on her hair.

"After you built the scarecrow-"

"We built the scarecrow," she interrupted him.

"After _you_ built the scarecrow," he said again, looking down at her, "I told you that I was going to be like him, guarding this land. At the time, I had no idea how true that would become in a few short days—and how many other similarities that the scarecrow and I would share. When you set out to make him, the first thing you did was to give him a spine, the necessary support. Then you made sure that he had two arms so that he could do what was necessary. And then..."

His voice wavered a little bit, so Meng Feng tightened her grip around his waist.

"And then, you started working on his center. You made sure he had a heart, a core that could hold him together. And then you built him up and out, shaping him into the protector that he never could've become without your helping hand. And then…then you gave him eyes to see."

"You gave him eyes to see," she corrected gently, tears pooling in her eyes.

He started to refute the point, but then shrugged.

"Maybe that's why those eyes were looking at you, then," he said, his seriousness giving way to his irrepressible good nature as he grinned at her.

She shook her head and readied her reply, but before she could say anything, his lips covered hers again, no hesitation in the motion.

 _We bring out the best in each other,_ she thought before deciding that maybe leaving Xiuli Mountain could wait for a while after all.

* * *

"Chu Qiao!" a woman yelled.

"Chu Qiao, get up!"

She was so cold.

"Chu Qiao, wake up!"

The icy cold of the water sapped the warmth and life from her.

"X'er!" a different voice yelled.

Pain lanced through her chest.

"No, X'er!" the voice—a man—begged.

A pale face loomed before her; she kissed its lips passionately.

"Stay with me, X'er," he pleaded.

She fell to the ground, sword still in hand.

"X'er, you promised," he grated, tears streaming down his cheeks.

" _Yuwen Yue!"_ she remembered yelling.

"Get up!" he said brokenly.

 _Yuwen Yue!_ She thought hazily. _That's who he is. I have to…_

Chu Qiao's eyes flew open, and she was shocked to find herself surrounded not by frigid water but by blankets that smelled like…

She inhaled once, and her eyes widened.

 _I thought He Xiao survived,_ she thought in dismay. _Was he hiding a wound from me? Or maybe there's some other explanation._

Her eyes adjusted to the dimness, and she realized that she was in the general's quarters of the crude barracks on Xiuli Mountain. More specifically, she was currently curled up in her commander's bed, which raised more questions than provided answers.

 _Not that he would hesitate to give me his bed if I needed it,_ she admitted.

"Yuwen Yue," she tried to say, but her throat was parched, so it only came out as a raspy whisper.

Chu Qiao turned her head to the right and felt instant relief when she saw her loaded small crossbow resting on a table within easy reach of her hand. A couple of her assassin's knives were resting beside it, cleaned and ready for action. Propped up against the table was the familiar, comforting presence of Can Hong Jian, the sight of which brought a mist of tears to her eyes.

Footsteps sounded outside her door, and all sentiments fled as she instinctively reached for her crossbow. A bolt of pain ripped through her chest and shoulder area as she did so, but she neither cried out nor stopped going for her weapon of choice. She had the crossbow aimed at the entrance to the room with her finger on the trigger by time the intruder walked through the door.

"Don't shoot, Chu Da Ren!" He Xiao said, his eyes widening in a way that would've made her laugh under other circumstances.

"S-sorry," she rasped, setting the crossbow by her side with relief. "Didn't know...can't talk...thirsty."

"I'll get you some water, Chu Da Ren," He Xiao said, leaving before she could say anything more.

Chu Qiao leaned her head back against the pillow, unsure of where her commander was going and who he'd bring back with her. To her relief—or was it disappointment?-he came back almost immediately with just a simple clay bowl of water in his hand. He set it down on the table and carefully helped her into a sitting position, holding the bowl out to her. She took it from him and drank greedily, sighing with disappointment when she reached its bottom all too quickly. He Xiao rose to refill it, but she stopped him.

"Don't worry, He Xiao," she said. "Water can wait. Tell me the news first."

Her commander hesitated, and her heart sank. He still found a smile, though, and told her the answer to the main question she'd had.

"Yuwen Yue's alive," he said. "He's down the mountain in a camp set up at its base. He woke up yesterday for a bit and was able to eat and drink a little, but then he fell back asleep and slept the rest of the day and night. Yue Qi tells me that they expect him to make a full recovery."

Chu Qiao closed her eyes, relief blooming within her. She could tell that He Xiao had some painful news to tell her, but the man she loved was safe, so she could face anything.

"Miss Yu and Mister Wu are alive and relatively well. Prince Yuan Song and Meng Feng are alive, although Meng Feng took a nasty gut slice from a battle axe that will likely hurt for some time."

Her eyes flew back open as a suspicion began to grow within her.

"A battle axe?" she asked, dread pooling in her stomach. "Not many Yanbei warriors would fight with a weapon like that."

He Xiao hesitated, and Chu Qiao closed her eyes again, tears filling them this time.

"A'Jing?" she asked stoically after reopening her eyes.

"Meng Feng killed him at the base of the mountain. Apparently he attacked them—or, more specifically, he attacked the prince."

Chu Qiao took a few moments to honor the memory of the man who had once been one of only a few people who had stood by Yan Xun in his gilded cage. Part of her regretted not being able to save her friend, but the rest of her stood by her and Zhong Yu's instinctive feeling that he not only wouldn't have come over to their side but might've warned Yan Xun about their activities.

"What about the Xiulis?" she asked, bracing herself for more bad news.

He Xiao was silent for a number of moments. Chu Qiao lowered her head in sorrow and shame, knowing that she'd completely failed the men she'd tried so hard to protect.

"I'm sorry, He Xiao," she whispered. "No more of you were supposed to die. This was supposed to be a peaceful transfer of power—although maybe that was only ever a dream in the first place. Either way, I shouldn't have involved you—any of you."

"Do you really think we would've let you attempt such a thing without us, Chu Da Ren?" He Xiao asked. "When have we ever let you go into battle without us there to protect you?"

"You weren't supposed to protect me!" she said, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I was supposed to protect you!"

"No, Chu Da Ren," He Xiao said, coming closer to the bed. "You weren't supposed to protect us. You were supposed to lead us—and you did."

"Straight to your deaths," she muttered.

"Yes, straight to the honorable deaths that many of us never would've gotten otherwise," He Xiao said. "Had you not done something, Yan Xun and Cheng Yuan would've killed us bit by bit until we were no more. At least many of my—of our—men got to die with swords in hand fighting for a just cause. Just think of it, Chu Da Ren. A little more than a hundred soldiers and a handful of pugilists managed to hold off thousands of Yanbei troops until Yuwen Yue's people showed up. This was truly a great victory."

"How many survived, He Xiao?" Chu Qiao asked, unwilling to wax poetical about war at the moment.

"Roughly forty," he said. "Some of those are injured severely enough that they'll never be able to fight again; others have had enough of war and are going to retire. The rest of us..."

"I'll take care of you, He Xiao," Chu Qiao vowed tearfully. "You don't have to worry."

He Xiao smiled softly at her.

"I'm not worried, Chu Da Ren. I never have been."

"Who else?" Chu Qiao asked, wiping her eyes in irritation.

"There was a battle up on one of the ridges between the Liang princess and Xia Chong."

"Xia Chong?!" Chu Qiao asked, eyes widening at the news that the woman who had saved her life not long before she'd lost her memories had shown up at this battle. "Was that really her? I couldn't tell from where I was, but I thought I saw someone else using Ice Martial Arts techniques up there."

"Yes, it was really her," He Xiao confirmed. "Xiao Yu hurt her pretty badly, but Mister Wu thinks she'll recover eventually."

Chu Qiao noticed that her commander suddenly seemed to be uncomfortable, but in a different way than he'd been when talking about the deaths. She didn't know why talking about Xia Chong would make him fidget like that, but she shrugged it off and moved on.

"And Xiao Yu?"

"Dead," he confirmed.

She smiled for the first time since waking up, satisfied that the woman who had caused so many problems for all of them had met a fitting end and wouldn't be troubling them any longer.

"So Xia Chong killed Xiao Yu? That's twice I owe her now."

"Actually, Chu Da Ren, Xia Chong didn't kill Xiao Yu. It was...Chu Da Ren, it was Princess Chun'er who killed Xiao Yu. She shot her in the chest with a small crossbow."

Chu Qiao gaped in what she knew to be a ridiculous fashion, but her mind was having a hard time processing what He Xiao was telling her.

"So she killed both Yan Xun and Xiao Yu," she whispered. "Incredible."

He Xiao clearly didn't know what to say to that, so Chu Qiao moved on.

"Make sure that Xia Chong receives the best medical care possible, He Xiao."

Her commander looked at her in startlement.

"Actually, Chu Da Ren, Phoenix has taken over her treatment herself, especially since she now has the really good medicine that Prince Xiang gave us."

"Prince Xiang?!" Chu Qiao said, bolting upright in bed. "What's he doing here? Was he…? Was there another battle?"

"Nothing bad happened, Chu Da Ren," He Xiao soothed. "He showed up to conquer Yanbei, but Prince Yuan Song managed to talk him out of it."

Chu Qiao felt a warm glow erupt inside of her as she acknowledged that, while she may have gotten the Xiulis slaughtered, at least she'd been right about her old friend.

"You were right about him, after all, Chu Da Ren," He Xiao said. "He will be an excellent ruler of Yanbei—and Meng Feng will be an excellent princess if he has anything to say about it, I think."

Her eyes widened, and she felt herself tiring even more. All of this news was overwhelming her, and the pull of oblivion was overpowering her despite her best efforts.

"Chu Da Ren, I need to get Mister Wu now since you're obviously tiring," her commander said. "I was supposed to get him when you first woke up, but..."

"Thanks for telling me the truth, He Xiao," she said, her eyes drooping. "You were telling me the truth about Yuwen Yue, weren't you? He's really going to be okay?"

He Xiao smiled at her tenderly.

"He's really going to be okay, Chu Da Ren. You're going to live—both of you. In fact, he's the one who made Yue Qi bring your weapons up here because he knew you'd want them. Yue Qi said that Young Master Yue was particularly adamant that your sword be placed nearby where you could see it easily even if you couldn't use it."

Her heart melted at the obvious love and care that her beloved had demonstrated towards her even when he was injured. She wished she could do something in return, but she had nothing to offer him. Chu Qiao's eyes roamed the room in search of something, anything. They landed on the table with her weapons on them—but also a small square of white cloth resting next to them.

Eyes widening in astonishment, she reached out towards the handkerchief that she vaguely remembered having been covered in her blood the last time she'd seen it. The motion caused her breath to hitch, however, and He Xiao sprang into action, handing her the handkerchief. She caressed it lovingly before placing it gently under her cheek, smiling softly all the while.

"He Xiao, come get this handkerchief in a few hours," she said, unable to keep her eyes open much longer. "Take it to Yuwen Yue; he'll understand."

"I could take it now, if you'd like, Chu Da Ren. After all, I have to get Mister Wu so that he can look you over."

Chu Qiao smiled, knowing that Mister Wu's evaluation was going to have to wait for later. She also understood that her commander would find the reason for her actions with the handkerchief awkward, but she knew she didn't have time to explain them in a longer, more tactful way.

"You can't take it now, He Xiao," she mumbled, eyes closing. "If you do, it won't smell enough like me."

She smiled as the sound of her commander's strangled cough took her mind back to the inside of a certain cave right before unconsciousness claimed her again.

* * *

He Xiao headed to the infirmary full of mixed feelings. On the one hand, he was elated that his general had woken up for a few minutes and had seemed like she was going to recover, but on the other...He winced as he imagined the tongue-lashing he'd likely receive from both Mister Wu and Phoenix. What was he supposed to have done, though? Chu Da Ren had given him an order, and…

He shrugged, figuring that he could live through a tirade after surviving both the Battle of Xiuli Mountain, as he'd heard people calling it already, and the medical battle for the lives of his people. Some of the things that he'd seen and done over the past several days seemed extraordinary and even ridiculous to the degree that part of him wondered if some of those events had even happened.

The infirmary came in sight, and he stopped pondering things he couldn't change. The past was in the past, after all, and now he was looking to the future. He Xiao did his best to ignore the unsettled feeling in his insides as he walked inside the infirmary and saw _her._

Instead of going over to _her_ immediately as he felt compelled to do for some unknown reason, he forced himself to walk over to where Mister Wu and Phoenix were standing talking about something-or-other. The soldier figured out that he needed to take his lumps before spending time in the pleasurable company of Miss Chong—and the somewhat less-pleasurable company of his men.

 _Not that I don't care about my men, but they sure do love to draw ridiculous conclusions about my visits to Miss Chong,_ he thought as he relayed the news about Chu Da Ren to the two pugilists.

They were predictably upset at him, and he endured their scolding with equanimity. Once the fussing was done and they'd both left to go check on their charge, He Xiao walked over to the corner where some of his men were convalescing—along with _her._ The Xiulis saw him coming over and snickered, a few of them even making somewhat insulting assumptions about his motives for being there.

"And here I thought you'd like to hear my news about Chu Da Ren," he said, scowling fiercely at them. "I guess I'll just turn around and leave you wondering how she's doing."

A chorus of protests and apologies erupted behind him, and among them was _her_ voice telling him that he should ignore these idiots and at least tell _her_ what was going on. He couldn't resist such a plea, so he relented and turned back around.

The roar that erupted from the throats of his men when he told them that Chu Da Ren had awakened and conversed with him was loud enough to bring some of the guards in. They whooped in delight as well and ran back outside to spread the news. He Xiao could hear the news being shouted all over the camp, and he shook his head.

His men had a bevy of questions to ask him about their beloved general, and he answered them all patiently. He Xiao couldn't prevent his mind from drifting to thoughts of _her_ as he was already looking forward to talking with _her_ again. He had no idea why she affected him so, especially since he'd only known _her_ for a few days.

"So Chu Da Ren has sprouted wings and can fly?"

"Mm," He Xiao answered absent-mindedly.

 _I know what most people would think,_ he admitted. _My men have already hinted at it right in front of Miss Chong, in fact; but they're wrong. She may look like Chu Da Ren, but the way she makes me feel when I spend time with her is completely different._

"So Chu Da Ren is going to hold an expensive funeral for Cheng Yuan?"

"Of course," He Xiao answered, his mind thinking of topics to broach with Miss Chong.

 _I wish we could be alone so that I could ask her about her connection with Chu Da Ren. Whatever Miss Chong did for her in the past made Chu Da Ren get that protective expression on her face, which was good enough of a character endorsement for me._

"So Chu Da Ren's going to marry Prince Xiang and possibly become the future empress of Wei?"

"Ye—what?! No! Of course not!" he sputtered indignantly.

His men laughed at him and he glowered at them; they didn't seem even remotely intimidated. Gathering as much dignity as he could muster, he turned his back on them and turned around to face _her._ Miss Chong gave him a small, crabbed smile from her bed that made him grin in response. He sat down in a chair near the bed, ignoring the chuckles of his men. As they began to converse about this and that, He Xiao mentally shrugged and let his questions go for the moment.

 _Why waste time trying to figure out my reasons for feeling this way about her? After all, I didn't even expect to survive the battle a few days ago, yet here I am. Now I'm getting to enjoy life for once; I'll just take this path and find out where it leads later._

He Xiao grinned fiercely as he related the story of Chu Da Ren almost shooting him with her crossbow, complete with appropriate expressions and motions on his part. Her low, somewhat scratchy chuckle made him smile all the more—and vow to live well in memory of the men who could no longer do so.

* * *

Yuwen Yue paced around the large camp at the base of Xiuli Mountain, trying to appear busy but figuring that he probably wasn't fooling anyone. After all, His Highness had given him strict orders to do nothing but convalesce, so he'd stuck to eating, drinking medicine and water, meditating, and taking short walks around the part of the camp that was nearest to the mouth of the main pass.

The spymaster scowled as he remembered the humiliation of waking up to see the light of dawn seeping through the walls of his tent and realizing that he'd slept through all of the late evening and night. He'd glared at Yue Qi for allowing him to fall back asleep after he'd eaten a small meal and taken his medicine, especially since his right hand had known of his intentions to go to Xing'er at night. His faithful servant had calmly told him that he was going to need a lot of strength to sneak up the mountain and that Xing'er hadn't awakened at all yesterday anyway.

 _That's not the point,_ he mentally growled in frustration. _I have to be with her, to make sure that she stays with me and lives on—that we live on together._

His eyes strayed once more to the entrance to the pass, and his mind took him back to late yesterday afternoon when he'd been able to spend a small amount of time outside before his desire to sleep had overwhelmed him. The Wei soldiers had set up a wagon that could take injured but recovering people down the mountain to the lower camp, which they did several times a day. The ride was bumpy and uncomfortable, but most who took it felt it to be worthwhile in order to be off of that frigid, forbidding mountain.

A commotion had arisen after its final arrival down the mountain for the day as both Yuan Song and Meng Feng had been helped off of it. While there had been nothing inappropriate about their seating arrangement, most who saw them had been able to tell that that they were now together. There'd seemed to be something deeper about their relationship than there had been before, and Yuwen Yue had little doubt that Yuan Song would be talking to his older brother quite soon.

Yuwen Yue grimaced as he imagined that particular conversation taking place.

 _Prince Xiang didn't even approve of Xing'er as a suitable choice of bride for me, so I know that he'll react badly to the notion of Meng Feng as a suitable wife for his own brother. I understand Xiang's position; after all, it's the same one that most of our society holds. Her connections are lacking, so the most that she should ever be able to be for a royal like Yuan Song is a concubine. And yet, I would never consider making Xing'er anything other than my one and only wife, so how could I blame him for likely wanting to do the same thing with Meng Feng?_

Motion at the head of the pass banished all thoughts of anyone but one person from his mind. The runner was dressed as a Xiuli and was barreling down the pathway as if a pack of wolves were at his heels. He seemed to be scanning the faces near the mouth of the pass, and Yuwen Yue found his feet moving him forward almost of their own accord. The man's eyes met his own, and Yuwen Yue almost passed out as the Xiuli's face broke out in an enormous grin.

To the outside world, Young Master Yue was as unperturbed and serene as ever, but inwardly, Yuwen Yue was almost weeping from relief. As the Xiuli staggered up to him, Yuwen Yue allowed the man to have a few moments to catch his breath.

"Chu Da Ren...woke up," he gasped out. "He Xiao...talked to her...said she was...aware of everything...alert...concerned about her people...and about you especially...Young Master Yue."

Yuwen Yue thanked the man, more to give him further opportunity to rest than anything else.

"She wanted to know...about the battle," the soldier said. "Who lived...who died..that sort of thing. He Xiao said he told her most things...but not everything."

"I take it he didn't tell her about the blood transfers," he said wryly.

"I wouldn't know, Young Master Yue," the man said. "Mister Wu and Phoenix checked her over... although she'd fallen back asleep by that point. I don't think they were pleased...about He Xiao not getting them immediately."

"I suppose they weren't," Yuwen Yue said, smirking inwardly as he visualized the prickly Underworld leader not getting her way.

The soldier had recovered somewhat from his sprint down the mountain, but Yuwen Yue could tell that the man probably needed longer to replenish his strength than he'd gotten.

"Would you like to go to the mess tent for some warm food and wine?" Yuwen Yue asked the man. "You could at least get out of the cold for a while."

"Thank you for offering, Young Master Yue, but I must get back to my post," the soldier said, clasping his sword in his hands and bowing. "We all take Chu Da Ren's safety seriously, you know, and there are plenty of threats lurking around here still. Nobody will be able to sneak past us, that's for sure."

"Your dedication does you credit," Yuwen Yue said, inclining his head and thinking of the black robes folded up in his tent. "You may leave first."

The soldier went to bow again, but before he did so, he jerked a little and sheepishly pulled out a small, flat package.

"I'm sorry, Young Master Yue, but I almost forgot to give this to you," he said, handing the spymaster the package. "He Xiao told me to hand this to you personally and to tell you that Chu Da Ren wanted to you have it because, as she said, 'Yuwen Yue will understand.' He also said to make sure to tell you that she was grateful for her weapons—especially the sword."

Yuwen Yue thanked the soldier and dismissed him again, eagerly walking back to his own tent so that he could open Xing'er's package in private. He had no idea what his beloved had managed to find to give him in such a short amount of time, but he knew better than most just how resourceful his Xing'er could be when she put her mind to something.

The entrance to the tent closed behind him, so Yuwen Yue carefully opened the small package. His breath caught as he recognized their handkerchief, and his nostrils flared as he detected Xing'er's scent on it.

 _She must have kept the handkerchief close by, perhaps on the table near her bed._

He held the square of soft fabric to his nose and inhaled, his nostrils flaring even more as he recognized stronger, more complex scents than he'd been expecting.

 _These are not the kinds of smells that the handkerchief could've picked up by sitting on a nearby surface,_ the spymaster concluded, inhaling his beloved's scent again. _In fact, the only way that this handkerchief could smell just like this is if it had spent at least several hours in Xing'er's hands—or, perhaps, tucked under her head and cheek._

Yuwen Yue's eyes darkened as the meaning of his beloved's message hit him. While he knew Xing'er to be somewhat inept at verbally expressing her feelings, she'd managed to send him a simple yet profound gift that had conveyed so much with so little. The gift was Xing'er through and through, and his heart swelled with tenderness for the woman he loved.

His resolve strengthened, and he walked over to his bed at sat down on it, crossing his legs and properly positioning his hands. He began to center himself, knowing that he was going to need every bit of strength in order to carry out his plans for tonight. Images of his beloved, his black robes, and a small wooden box flitted through his mind as he waited for the appearance of the moon and stars.

* * *

AN: Now we're getting to the part y'all want to read, right? YWY is as tired of the XingYue separation as the rest of us, and he's ready and able to take matters into his own hands. Next week: XingYue proposal (Whoopsie. Did I really type that? I guess my fingers slipped.) The week after: XingYue gets busted; historically inaccurate fan-service ensues. Three weeks out: Life really starts moving on; more kissing ensues. Four weeks out: They finally get off the mountain and stuff? (Seriously, this part of the outline's only half-baked—kinda like me.)

Musical selections: In terms of capturing the mood at the end of this chapter, "Bring Me the Night" by Sam Tsui and Kina Grannis works well. Bonus: There's a song simply entitled "Warrior" by Beth Crowley that I've been sitting on for awhile now. It's long given me XingYue feels, but I didn't know quite where to list it. I gave this chapter the nod due to the last part (although you could also apply the last part to the icy lake).

Translation/fic updates: Ddmcmc has posted a new chapter recap at yunshengw dot wordpress dot com, and Angel Chua continues to update her fanfiction, "Secret Princess," at princessagents dot wordpress dot com.


	13. Chapter 13

AN: Yeah, right. You're not going to read this any more than you would've read one at the beginning of the icy lake chapter. Go read the XingYue proposal since I spoiled its presence last week; you can even skip this opening couple of paragraphs and start reading at "Chu Qiao" if you want. Enjoy.

* * *

The black-clad figure stealthily crept up Xiuli Mountain, both blessing and cursing the moonless nature of the night. All he had to guide him was the feeble light of the stars, and even they often had to fight for visibility with the intermittent cloud cover. In the end, the conditions didn't matter; after all, he'd been doing this type of job for most of his life, so what was a little extra adversity?

He felt his way through the forest, thankful that he hadn't come upon anyone else in the woods. His mission was important, and he knew that its success relied upon him not getting caught during this first part. After all, when one was going to pay a visit to a beautiful but deadly woman, caution was essential.

Footsteps sounded close by, and he instinctively ducked behind a pine tree and did his best to blend in with its trunk. While he assumed that what was likely a soldier on patrol wouldn't be able to differentiate between him and the tree trunk, he still rested his hand on his knife just in case. Failure was not an option, after all.

As the soldier trudged past, the assassin reflected on the four parts of his mission. First, he was tasked with observing the goings-on of the camp to the best of his ability. Second, he was to eliminate his target. Third, while fleeing the scene, he was to drop an object his master had given him for this purpose. Fourth, he was to head south and meet up with a contact at one of their hideouts.

The lone soldier's footsteps faded away, and the assassin took his hand off his knife in relief. He knew that the perimeter of the main camp wasn't far, so he sharpened his senses to the best of his ability. His real mission would soon begin, and he hoped that the heavens would smile on him and bring him success tonight.

* * *

Chu Qiao suddenly came to again, mentally grumbling about being conscious.

 _All I'm doing is passing out, staying unconscious for a short time, and then jolting back to consciousness due to the pain. Or the cold. Or…_

Her brow furrowed in the darkness as she tried to figure out what exactly had woken her up this time. The agony caused by her chest wound and the bone-aching chill she felt within her were two obvious suspects, but for some reason, her mind rejected them as the ultimate causes of her wakefulness. She relaxed back against the pillow, resigning herself to a restless night of painful existence and fitful rest.

 _Come on, you wimp,_ she scolded herself. Y _ou've been hurt this badly before—maybe even worse. You've definitely been colder than you are now, too._

She shivered as she remembered the feeling of drowning in the icy lake. The frigid water had rushed into her nose and throat, freezing her insides with every inhalation.

 _Not that the air I'm breathing now is much warmer,_ she groused, breathing deeply just to prove her mental point.

Her nostrils flared as her mind identified a scent that she knew couldn't possibly be present, and she wondered if this smell was what had awoken her a few moments ago. Chu Qiao initially dismissed the idea as she didn't know if a person could hallucinate while unconscious.

 _He can't be here, and yet..._ Her thoughts trailed off as she inhaled another lungful of Yuwen Yue's distinctive scent in guilty contentment. _I know this isn't real and that he's likely convalescing in a cozy, warm tent right now, but I'm going to enjoy this feeling as long as I can._

She settled back down in her bed and did just that, determined to savor every breath she took that her mind insisted smelled like her beloved. Part of her was taken aback at just how much she wanted to believe what her nose was telling her, but the rest of her accepted the completeness of her love for Yuwen Yue without reservation.

As more time passed and the scent's presence did not diminish, Chu Qiao began to accept that her senses might not be lying to her. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she wondered why her beloved hadn't approached her—especially since he would've gone through a tremendous amount of effort to reach her in his current state.

 _Does he think I wouldn't want him to be here? Is he afraid that I'd wake up when he approached and try to harm him in confusion? Has he only come out of a sense of duty rather than love and is thus content to stand watch in the dark?_

Chu Qiao dismissed the last question as ridiculous, unwilling to doubt the depth of Yuwen Yue's love for her at this point in their relationship. After all, he'd returned Can Hong Jian to her with the full understanding of its legend, and Mister Wu had told her earlier that her gift of their handkerchief had been well-received.

 _Well, you could just call him over, you know,_ her mind snidely informed her.

She rejected that course of action, suddenly feeling shy in the presence of the man she loved—if he was even really there at all. Her mind conjured up another plan, and she nodded in acceptance. If nothing came of it, then she wouldn't have to be embarrassed about anything more than appearing to have had a bad dream. But if it worked…

Chu Qiao began thrashing around on the bed, doing her best to simulate swimming. She then started softly moaning while acting as if she were shivering.

"Cold, cold, cold," she murmured, listening carefully for any indication of sound.

She repeated this process, trying her hardest to act like she was reliving her time in the icy lake—or in the Yellow River. Her ears barely detected what she wanted to believe were swishing robes and familiar footsteps, but she had to admit that what she'd thought she'd heard might have been the result of wishful thinking. The rustling seemed to be coming closer, however, and the scent of her beloved intensified.

Finally, all sound ceased, and she reacted on instinct, reaching out and grabbing the arm that she somehow knew would be there. Fire shot through her chest in protest, but the rest of her body relaxed in relief as it registered the physical presence of the man she loved. Chu Qiao wanted to speak to Yuwen Yue, but she was too embarrassed about the ruse she'd played to say anything.

"Xing'er," Yuwen Yue whispered softly from the bedside. "You can stop pretending to sleep now."

She grasped his arm harder, glad that the darkness was hiding her blushing cheeks.

"Xing'er, I've slept in the same bed with you often enough to know the difference between when you're really asleep and when you're only faking."

"Who's faking?" she mumbled, burying her face in the pillow.

"X'er," he rasped, whispering her name like a caress. "You can let go. I won't leave you."

Chu Qiao sighed in resignation and dropped his arm—and her pretense.

"I love it when you say my name like that," she whispered, shifting her head in the general direction of her beloved even though she couldn't see him.

"Like what?" he asked, setting down Po Yue Jian and some other things that Chu Qiao couldn't discern in the pitch-blackness of the barracks.

"Like-"

Chu Qiao mentally kicked herself as she realized that she'd somehow gotten herself into the position of having to explain her feelings aloud.

"Like..." she began again, struggling to articulate such a sentimental, intimate concept to her beloved. "Like there's so much emotion in your throat when you say it that you end up squeezing it all out together."

Yuwen Yue said nothing, and Xing'er was glad that her beloved couldn't see the look on her face. She knew that she'd sounded ridiculous, but what had he expected would happen? After all, he knew that she wasn't good at talking about that kind of thing anyway.

She gasped in surprise when she felt a hand on her, and squawked softly in protest as that hand turned into an arm that shifted her effortlessly over on the bed.

"Yuwen Yue! You-! What are you doing?"

He didn't answer, but she could hear him gathering a few things from nearby and placing them near her head. Her eyes widened in confusion as she wondered what her beloved was trying to accomplish. Not that she doubted that his actions had a purpose, but as usual, she was hard-pressed to figure out his plan.

Chu Qiao hadn't believed her eyes to be capable of widening any more, but they did so when her mind identified the sounds of Yuwen Yue removing his outer robe, balling it up, and placing it behind her.

 _Maybe he's making me a nest out of blankets, pillows, and now his robe,_ she thought in confusion. _Maybe he's going to prop me up so that my chest won't hurt as much as it does when I'm lying down._

"Yuwen Y-"

Before she could question him again, she felt the bed dip slightly as the man she loved climbed into it beside her. She was too shocked to ask what he was doing—or to put up any sort of resistance when he gently pulled her into his lap. Not that she would've put up any resistance had she been able to do so; the feelings cascading through her were indescribably exquisite and made any sort of protest die on her lips.

Chu Qiao relaxed bonelessly against her beloved, reveling in his solid warmth that chased away the cold without and within. His scent was all around her now, and she inhaled it greedily, sighing softly in pleasure. The pain in her chest diminished, although she didn't know whether she was feeling better due to the position change or to the heat she could feel radiating through the relative thinness of her beloved's under-robes.

Yuwen Yue carefully pulled the blankets over the two of them, bringing them all the way up to Chu Qiao's chin. He did his best to smooth them out, his hands roaming over her body in the process and taking their time removing every possible wrinkle. When he was done, he placed his hands first at the top of the blanket and then at his sides, obviously trying to find an appropriate place to rest them.

 _I might be bad at talking about my feelings, but I'm getting better at showing them._

Slowly due to the pain the motions caused, she moved her hands from under the blanket to outside of it and grasped both of his hands.

"Xing'er…?"

"Shhh."

"Xing'er, don't hurt-"

"Shhh."

Concentrating almost as hard as she'd had to do when she'd used her Ice Martial Arts abilities in the icy lake, she gradually pulled their hands back under the blankets and placed them over her middle. Once Yuwen Yue understood what she wanted, he wound his arms around her and pulled her closer to himself. She placed her hands on top of his and clasped them, luxuriating in the contact.

"Thank you, Yuwen Yue," Chu Qiao whispered, almost in tears. "I was hurting so much, and I was so cold."

Yuwen Yue's arms tightened around her briefly, and she reveled in the sensation of him resting his chin on her shoulder and placing his head next to hers.

"Who says I'm doing this for you, Xing'er?" he asked her lowly, his warm breath tickling her ear. "All I'm doing is protecting my investment."

"Investment?" she murmured hazily through the pleasure engulfing her. "What investment?"

"Have you already forgotten, Xing'er? In the icy lake, you promised to stay with me for the rest of your life. I've already given much of myself to make that happen, so I naturally want to make sure that you have the means to survive for a long time to come."

"Oh," Chu Qiao said, her breath hitching in her chest.

"Ah, now you remember, right?"

"Of course I remember," she said grumpily. "I always remembered. I just didn't know what you were talking about."

"Yes, that's often a problem with you, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said in that pensive voice that always made her grind her teeth.

"Maybe if you'd have been a little clearer...speaking of which, what did you mean when you said you'd already given much of yourself to help me survive? Yuwen Yue, what did you do?"

"Have you already forgotten all of the times I've saved you?" Yuwen Yue asked a little too quickly.

"Is that really what you were talking about, or is there something more?"

Silence answered her last question, and she gripped his hands in anticipation of the answer of her first. It was not what she'd expected.

"Xing'er, how much do you know about your mother's work?"

"Ah?" she asked in confusion. "What do you mean, Yuwen Yue? Are you asking about her leadership position in the Underworld, her mastery of the Ice Martial Arts, or…?"

"Apparently, Phoenix and Mister Wu worked with Luo He in order to develop certain...techniques. Medical techniques."

He paused expectantly, but Chu Qiao had no clue what he wanted her to say.

"So…?"

"So they developed a particular technique that can allow a master of the Ice Martial Arts to take blood from one person and give it to another."

"What?!" Chu Qiao blurted.

"Shh."

"Don't you shush me, Yuwen Yue! Are you expecting me to believe that not only did my mother find a way to do such a thing, but that there was someone...crazy...enough..."

Her throat closed up and tears began to fill her eyes as she realized the truth. The man she loved stayed silent, clearly giving her time to think about the things he'd said.

"There were three of us on the battlefield who were capable of using Ice Martial Arts techniques," she said, trying to speak in a logical way. "At the end of the battle, Xia Chong and I were already seriously injured and unconscious. You were seriously injured but not yet unconscious—and you had the fullest measure of the Ice Martial Arts abilities."

"Correct so far, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said.

"Thank you, Master," she muttered sarcastically. "So Phoenix and Mister Wu both knew how to do this...blood thing..."

"Actually, only Phoenix knew how to do it," Yuwen Yue said.

"And she needed to have the Ice Martial Arts abilities before she could save me," Chu Qiao whispered, tears tracing their way down her cheeks in the dark. "You...You..."

"Yes, I did," Yuwen Yue said. "And I'd do it again if it meant your survival."

"But I gave you those abilities so that _you_ could survive, Yuwen Yue!" she whispered. "How could you-"

"How could I let you die when I knew I could save you? What would my life have been worth then? What is power or blood when-"

"Blood?"

Chu Qiao opened her mouth to question him further, but a soft sob came out instead. Besides, she already knew the truth anyway. The man who was wrapped around her had been willing to give up not only the martial arts abilities that she'd given him but also the lifeblood from his veins. She shook as she tried to contain her sobs, not wanting to make enough noise to bring any of her Xiulis in from their posts outside.

Yuwen Yue tried to move his arms, but Chu Qiao clamped down on them harder. She felt like he was anchoring her emotionally and that to lose his touch would result in a complete loss of composure beyond the tears she was already shedding. He shifted his arms again, and she reluctantly let him go, not wanting to force him to hold her closely if he didn't want to do so.

 _Maybe he's upset at me for reacting this way to his sacrifice,_ she thought in dismay, not wanting to add to the considerable amount of suffering that her beloved had already experienced on her behalf.

Her fear was proven baseless, however, as Yuwen Yue only removed one arm from around her waist while keeping the other wrapped firmly around her. She could feel him removing something from the nearby table, and she realized what it was seconds later when he touched the soft piece of fabric gently to one of her cheeks. Chu Qiao inhaled sharply, and the scents of both of them clinging to the cloth registered in her mind as a fresh sob worked its way out of her chest.

"That's not the reaction I was hoping for, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said.

"Sorry to disappoint you," she muttered as he continued to pat her face with their handkerchief. "Next time I'll try to figure out how you want me to react ahead of time so that I'll be able to do so just for you."

"I'm going to hold you to that, Xing'er—sooner than you expect," he said from the dark.

Chu Qiao considered asking him to explain himself, but she simply didn't have the energy—or the inclination to waste her time. Her tears had tired her out, and she knew that she would likely be losing consciousness again soon. She also understood that her beloved would explain himself in due time—if he ever did so at all. Regardless of what he'd meant, one fundamental truth kept forcing its way to the forefront of her mind.

"I can never repay you," she whispered, gasping as the momentary clenching of Yuwen Yue's arm around her alerted her to the fact that she'd spoken aloud.

She stayed silent, not knowing what to say or do. Chu Qiao hadn't meant to actually say that, and now that she'd spoken, she had no idea what his reaction would be or what she should say.

"Actually, Xing'er, there is a way you can repay me," Yuwen Yue said into her ear. "In fact, I've already told you how, but you seemed more inclined to discuss the latter part of my statement than the former."

"What do you mean, Yuwen Yue?"

"As I said, Xing'er, I came here tonight to protect my investment. You promised to spend the rest of your life at my side, and that's the only way you could ever repay me because that's the only thing I want."

"Oh," she said, her eyes beginning to droop.

"That's also not the reaction I was hoping for, Xing'er."

"Sorry, Yuwen Yue," she murmured. "I'm getting tired again. All those tears, and you're making me so warm and comfortable..."

"Well, making you warm and comfortable was one of my goals, so I'm glad I've accomplished that, at least. Now about my other goal..."

"Mm?"

"What's your answer, Xing'er?"

"Answer? To what?"

"Will you stay with me for the rest of your life like you promised?"

"Of course I will, Yuwen Yue," she said, her grip on reality beginning to slip away. "I said I would, didn't I? I can be really useful to you, you know. I could go back to being your bedchamber maid, making you tea using my new Yanbei clay pot recipe and making sure your bed is warm."

Both of his arms wrapped back around her tightly, and Chu Qiao tried to figure out what she'd said to provoke such a response. The haze in her mind prevented her from doing so, however, so she continued rambling on.

"Or I could become one of your Yue guards, fighting with them to protect you and your home. I'm pretty good at that, you know."

"I know, Xing'er. But that's not what-"

"Or I could be the best spy of the Eyes of God like I wanted to before," she said, grasping his hands in hers again. "I'm a really good fighter, and I'm good at getting into—and out of—tight spots. Or I could just fight for you on my own; you wouldn't have to call me anything. I don't really care about things like that."

"No, X'er," he rasped in that way she loved so much. "There's only one position I want you to take in my household."

"What position do you want me in, Yuwen Yue?" she mumbled, trying as hard as she could to stay awake just a few moments more—and to figure out why his arms had tightened around her again.

"Wife," he whispered softly into her ear. "Marry me, X'er."

"Wife," she breathed out right before sleep reclaimed her. "Good. Love you..."

* * *

The assassin had easily slipped his way inside the camp and was now ensconced in the branches of a tree at the edge of the clearing that housed both the infirmary and the barracks. From this excellent vantage point, he was able to carry out the first part of his plan without complication.

While he regretted being unable to spend a day or two getting a feel for guard rotations, habits, schedules, and the like, his master had made the urgency of the mission clear to him. He knew that he only had the ability to observe the camp for a while longer before he'd have to make his move since he wanted to be gone well before dawn.

The assassin assumed that the second part of his mission would be as easy as the first had been so far. After all, how hard could killing one wounded, weak woman be—even one whom he knew to be an elite pugilist? While he didn't understand all of the master's instructions and motivations, he knew that this killing was personal for the master in some way. He vowed to do his best for his master—and for the large purse that his master had promised him upon the successful completion of his mission, of course.

* * *

Yuwen Yue knew that he needed to rest, but the feelings caused by holding Xing'er in his arms as she slept as well as his uncertainty over her response to his marriage proposal had kept sleep at bay. His mind couldn't stop running over the entire scene again and again, trying to figure out if his beloved had agreed to become his wife or not.

 _On the one hand, she told me she loved me, but on the other...What exactly does "good" mean, anyway? "Good" can mean_ _many_ _things._ _Good can_ _mean, "Yes! Of course I'll marry you, my beloved!"_ _Good can_ _mean, "That's nice, Yuwen Yue; I'll think about it."_ _Good can_ _mean, "I'm falling asleep right now and I feel really_ _comfortable_ _."_

The spymaster shook his head in despair as he once again considered the terrible timing that he and Xing'er always seemed to have. He'd been certain that he'd have time to propose to her before she'd exhausted her strength, but then she'd had to bring up that whole blood debacle, and his deflection hadn't fooled her. While Yuwen Yue wanted to believe that his suffering was finally at an end and that the woman he'd loved for so long would soon marry him, he couldn't keep his old insecurities at bay.

 _Did she fall asleep because she was exhausted like she said, or was she just pretending_ _to sleep_ _so that she wouldn't have to accept my proposal—or decline it?_

Yuwen Yue knew that he was being ridiculous; after all, had she not sent him their handkerchief with her scent on it and told He Xiao to thank him for her weapons—especially Can Hong Jian? She knew the legend of the sword and had gone out of her way to convey her appreciation for its return.

 _And she willingly gave up her Ice Martial Arts abilities and her life for you and told the entire battlefield she loved you with_ _what she thought was_ _her dying breath, you idiot,_ his mind chastised him.

A slight sound out of place in the room brought him out of his musings instantly. Although the motion sent a bolt of agony screaming through his chest, he still managed to pull Po Yue Jian and put its point at the throat of the intruder in the space between two breaths.

"Is that any way to treat an old friend, Yuwen Yue?" a male voice drawled from the darkness.

Yuwen Yue wished that their intruder could've seen the scowl that he'd leveled at him before sheathing Po Yue Jian. Xing'er had awoken suddenly and had asked a few confused questions. He picked the one that would give him the chance to offer the most peevish response to answer first.

"The problem, Xing'er, is that you are apparently receiving visits in the middle of the night from men who want things from you."

"Well, I received you, didn't I?" she mumbled.

"But I'm different, Xing'er," he impatiently explained. "You're going to marry me."

The pregnant pause that ensued did not bolster Yuwen Yue's confidence—especially not with their unwanted guest in the room.

"Oh," she finally said. "So I didn't dream that, then?"

A low, masculine chuckle sounded from the inky blackness.

"Ah, Yuwen Yue, Yuwen Yue. Only you would propose to the woman of your dreams only to have her think she's dreaming when she accepts you. You know, Qiao Qiao, it's not too late to take it all back and marry me instead."

"Who wants to take it back?" she grumbled, making Yuwen Yue's heart swell.

An exaggerated sigh sounded from the bedside.

"Well, I can't pretend that my heart hasn't just been broken into a thousand pieces, Qiao Qiao, but I suppose that the two of you have no choice but to get married given your current circumstances."

"I have no idea what you mean, Xiao Ce," Xing'er said innocently from Yuwen Yue's lap. "Yuwen Yue is here for medical purposes only. He knows how cold this place is, so he wanted to keep me warm. He also knows how uncomfortable sleeping flat on your back can be when you're injured, so he wanted to use himself as a prop for me."

"Had I known that you would've embraced such methods of treatment, Qiao Qiao, I would've gladly volunteered my own services when you stayed at my palace."

"Somehow I don't think your methods would've worked as well as Yuwen Yue's have."

"How would you have known unless you'd have tried them, Qiao Qiao?"

"I'm assuming that you didn't just come here to offer to perform therapy with Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said, his patience at an end.

"Xing'er?" Xiao Ce said in that mocking tone that had set his teeth on edge at the crown prince's palace.

"Yes, Xiao Ce, Xing'er," the woman he loved said firmly from his lap. "At least for Yuwen Yue."

His arms tightened around his woman in love and gratitude. If he'd been sure that Xiao Ce couldn't see in the dark as well as he himself could, he would've kissed his beloved on the back of her neck. Yuwen Yue decided to hold onto that thought for later.

"Very well, Qiao Qiao," Xiao Ce said in resignation from the shadows. "I've come here because my darling sister has put my homeland in a somewhat...sensitive situation."

"If by 'sensitive,' you mean, 'on the brink of war with Wei,' then I would be inclined to agree," Yuwen Yue replied.

"Quite. Her interfering so directly in Yanbei's affairs—and indirectly in Wei's as a result—is a bad look for us, and we'd like to avoid any...unpleasantries."

"Like 200,000 bored, battle-ready Wei soldiers camped outside your gates?"

"To the point as always, Yuwen Yue," Xiao Ce said.

"I'm assuming that you have one since you came here at great personal risk," Yuwen Yue said.

"Yes...well...considering that the last time I was here..."

"You acted like an idiot most of the time?" Xing'er finished for him.

"Thank you, Qiao Qiao," Xiao Ce said. "Your bluntness is, like your fiance's, refreshing as always. Yes, I did act like a simpleton for my personal protection when I visited Wei, but now...um..."

"Now you need our help in convincing the people you hoodwinked into thinking you were mad that you're actually worth taking seriously in order to prevent another war from breaking out," Yuwen Yue said.

"See? I knew we'd understand each other, Yuwen Yue. Maybe I should've just come to see you first."

"Maybe you should have," Yuwen Yue agreed wryly.

"Of course, then I would've missed out on this charming scene as well as the opportunity to be the first to wish both of you good fortune in your marriage-which I will, of course, pretend to be shocked about when I receive the news again in the morning in a presumably less-scandalous way. Have a good rest of the night, Yuwen Yue, Qiao Qiao. I shall leave first."

Yuwen Yue's eyesight was good enough for him to see the mocking bow that Xiao Ce gave them before he left the scope of Yuwen Yue's sight and disappeared back into the darkness.

"Is it too late for us to run away together, Yuwen Yue?" Xing'er asked plaintively.

The spymaster slumped against the woman he loved and almost laughed. He settled instead for pressing that kiss to the back of Xing'er's neck that he'd fantasized about earlier. She murmured in contentment, and he pulled her close to himself again.

"Ah, Xing'er, we are who we are," Yuwen Yue said into his beloved's ear. "We're just going to have to accept that these types of things are going to keep on happening to us."

"Well, then, I suppose it's good that we're marrying each other so that we'll be able to deal with being us together."

"It's very good, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue whispered. "Very, very good."

"I'm sorry I couldn't give you a proper answer when you asked me to marry you, Yuwen Yue," Xinger said, removing her hands from atop his and shifting around a little in an attempt to face him. "Would you like to ask me again?"

"That depends on what your answer would be this time, Xing'er," he murmured, gently helping her to turn around in his arms so that she could look up at him even though he knew she couldn't see him. "Will you change it?"

"You'll have to ask me to find out," Xing'er said, looking up at him with what he could barely tell was that impishly innocent expression that she knew he couldn't resist.

Yuwen Yue took a breath, hoping that his beloved was just teasing him.

"Marry me, X'er," he whispered, dipping his head closer and looking down into her eyes that he was now close enough to see.

Her eyes widened in shock as she realized that he could see into them thanks to his keen eyesight even though it was pitch black. She opened her eyes for him completely, and the love and desire he saw in her gaze gave him her answer before her words did. To his shock, she carefully reached a hand up to his face and cupped his cheek, her eyes unable to hide the pain that such a move caused her.

"X'er..."

"Hush, Yuwen Yue; let me do this."

"X'er, don't-"

"Yes," she said firmly, looking into his eyes with what looked like all of the stars in the heavens on display in her own. "Yes, I'll marry you, Yuwen Yue."

Instead of trying to say anything, he carefully pulled her closer to him until her face was almost touching his. Xing'er ran her thumb over his cheek, and he turned his head slightly and kissed it. He dipped his head the last small distance between them and kissed his fiance tenderly, the pain from his arrow wound not even registering. His bride-to-be didn't seem to care about her pain, either, so he prolonged the kiss as long as he could.

Some time later, a soft gasp entered his mouth from his beloved's. His first inclination was to assume that she was expressing pleasure, but the truth finally penetrated his haze as he realized that Xing'er was in pain. He broke the kiss and placed his hands over hers, which had somehow both made their way to his face.

 _No wonder she's hurting,_ he thought, berating himself for his selfish thoughtlessness.

"X'er," he whispered, "I'm sorry. I should've..."

"You should've kept on kissing me," Xing'er muttered. "I'm fine."

"You're not fine, Xing'er," he said, shifting her back into her original position despite her weakening protests.

"Didn't want you to stop," she mumbled, her tiredness and desire both evident in a way that made Yuwen Yue smile in the dark.

"I didn't want to stop, either, Xing'er," he assured her, "but you're hurting and you need to rest—we both do."

Her protest died on her lips as she seemed to recognize the rarity of Yuwen Yue actually admitting to any sort of weakness in front of anyone.

"Rest," she whispered faintly, obviously fading fast.

He pulled the covers back over them from where they'd fallen and wound his arms around her middle. She placed her hands over his again, grasping them as she slumped back against him.

"Love you," she mumbled, this time causing Yuwen Yue to feel none of the confusion or doubt he'd felt the last time she'd said those words right before falling asleep.

"I love you, too, my love," he whispered to his bride-to-be's sleeping form, only beginning to realize how exhausted he was now that his future happiness had been secured.

Yuwen Yue tucked his head next to Xing'er's and inhaled the heady scent of her hair that he'd delighted in smelling on their handkerchief earlier in the day. Someday soon, he'd be able to fall asleep every night for the rest of his life with that same scent filling his senses. That thought brought an even wider smile to the spymaster's face as he felt himself losing his own grip on consciousness. A brief alarm sounded in his head as he began to fall asleep, but the part of himself that he rarely gave free rein silenced it.

 _Don't worry, oh dutiful, boring spymaster; you'll wake up in time to sneak back down the mountain before dawn._

He vaguely remembered something about a small box he'd placed on a nearby table and his plans to give it and its contents to Xing'er tonight, but his mind brushed those thoughts aside.

 _Just savor the experience of falling asleep with your fiance in your arms and live a little for once, Ice Cube. Besides, don't you want to be able to fully see the look on her face when you give it to her—and for her to be able to look into your eyes?_

Said spymaster wrapped his arms more tightly around the woman he loved and followed her into deep slumber without another thought.

* * *

The assassin stepped out of the shadow of the tree, having climbed down it almost soundlessly. He set off in the direction of his target's likely location in the infirmary and slipped into the shadow of another tree without detection.

As he prepared to sneak into the infirmary, he went still as he felt the tip of a blade stick into the small of his back. He briefly contemplated trying to overwhelm his would-be captor, but before he could make a move, a smooth voice spoke softly to him from the darkness.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, friend. You see, I've probably been doing this sort of thing as long as you have, and trying anything untoward would likely result in...unpleasantries."

The assassin gulped and nodded curtly.

"What do you want me to do?"

"See? I knew we could get along," the stranger said affably, belying his friendly tone with another jab of his knife. "We're not going to do anything too scary; we're just going to leave this camp and have a friendly discussion elsewhere."

The stranger's assurances did not comfort the assassin. He had no say in the matter, however, knowing that this man would likely kill him instantly if he didn't cooperate. One thing he'd learned over the course of his career was that as long as you were alive, there was always hope that you could escape.

"I'm sure I'll be able to persuade you to be cooperative and that you won't prove to be an antisocial guest."

Nodding in fatalistic acceptance, the assassin allowed himself to be bound with some rope that the figure had pulled from his robes. He knew that he was unlikely to survive the night, but such was often the fate of one in his profession.

* * *

Some time later, Xiao Ce looked up at the stars from the isolated, protected spot in which he'd chosen to set up his camp. Nobody had discovered it—or him—yet, and he and their unwelcome guest had had an illuminating conversation. The crown prince idly rotated the large jade ring that was currently resting on his thumb, working his way through the implications of his late prisoner's last words.

Xiao Ce had been somewhat disappointed in how quickly the man had broken. He'd expected to encounter a bit more resistance from a killer who'd served a master like the one who owned this ring. After all, Xiao Ce had once solicited that powerful man's assistance to protect Qiao Qiao, not knowing that the man obviously held a vendetta of some sort against her as well as Miss Chong.

In spite of his worries, the crown prince smiled as he read the messages gifted him by the heavens. While the stars rarely spelled out specifics, they could give him basic prognostications of wellness or woe in regards to his people, his kingdom, and his friends. The heavens promised trying times ahead, but they also spoke of happiness, joy, and love for those who were willing and courageous enough to take them.

He reflected on the night that seemed so long ago now when he'd tried to discern Qiao Qiao's future and had seen nothing but tragedy and pain were she to try to be with Yuwen Yue. While he'd known that the love-sick man had suspected Xiao Ce of simply trying to keep Qiao Qiao from him, the crown prince had actually been attempting to save them both from experiencing such heartache.

Against all odds, the spymaster and his beloved had finally come together and would surely be married as quickly as would be socially acceptable. Given the position in which Xiao Ce had discovered them, he figured that they would probably marry sooner rather than later.

 _I didn't believe that old stick-in-the-mud had it in him,_ Xiao Ce grudgingly admitted. _Who'd have ever suspected that the dour, often-expressionless young master of Qing Shan Yuan whom Princess Yuan Chun had actually called "Ice Cube" to his face would be capable of sneaking into his woman's sick bed late at night?_

Not that Xiao Ce suspected them of having done anything too inappropriate—at least by his standards, anyway, which he had to admit were somewhat looser than those of others. Yuwen Yue struck him as the type of man who would have his woman on his own prim and proper terms or not at all—and who would never endanger the well-being or reputation of the woman he loved for a few moments of stolen pleasure.

 _Besides, neither one is likely healthy enough to do anything, fortunately. He's probably already sneaking down the mountain so that he'll be discovered resting innocently in his bed in the morning._

The sudden appearance of his traveling companion pulled him out of his musings. His servant set down a bundle of wood that he'd brought back to feed the fire and approached his master. Xiao Ce instructed him to bring him some heated wine to fight the cold Yanbei air. He couldn't wait to get back to his warm, temperate homeland.

 _Not that I regret coming,_ he thought as he sipped his wine. _The stars were adamant, after all, and they were right, as always. Had I not sent Xia Chong, had I not left Liang as soon as they told me to go…_

Xiao Ce tipped back both his cup and his head as he looked upward, content for the moment to savor his relative victory and to save all thoughts of potential defeat for another day. He knew that he might someday have to fight against the people he'd come here to reason with and help, but for now, what harm could a bit of diplomacy do?

 _Someday, my people might have to come before my passions, but for tonight—_ he polished off his wine and handed his cup to his servant— _tonight, I'll drink to the stars and the messages found therein._

* * *

AN: So there you have it; XingYue's all engaged and warm and comfy. Yuwen Yue will totally wake up before dawn and leave Xing'er's bed, right? Right? Next week: XingYue gets busted; historically-inaccurate fan-service ensues. Two weeks from now: More mountaintop convalescence. Three weeks from now: Recovery at the base of the mountain. Four weeks from now: Wrapping up loose ends in Yanbei. Five weeks from now: Wedding night double-shot epilogue. (Yep, the end is in sight, y'all.)

Musical Recommendation: The song "10" by Elouiz has been giving me XingYue feels for awhile now, and it fits this story—and CQ's current frame of mind-like a glove.

Translation Update: springbreeze has translated half of Ch. 155 of the novel at her blog, darkstarlights dot wordpress dot com. Angel Chua continues to update "Secret Princess" at princessagents dot wordpress dot com.

Also, Adrenaline1217 has written the first chapter of a new story, so go check it out if you haven't already. She's quite young and is new to this crazy fanfiction thing, so be on your best behavior, y'all;).


	14. Chapter 14

AN: This chapter is fairly lengthy, but all of them are going to be long from here on out, probably, since I want to get this story wrapped up. I know that some of this stuff might not be interesting to y'all, but since I'm writing this story for me as much as for you, I felt the need to conclude these story lines for my own peace of mind. Of course, I also do my best to give y'all the kind of scenes that I know you want, so if you're only here for the XingYue, you can skip down to the respective sections since they begin with "Chu Qiao" and "Yuwen Yue," respectively. I feel like I should warn y'all that one of my story-telling choices has compelled me to bust out my new, handy-dandy "Historically-inaccurate Fan-service" tag. Yes, I realize that YWY and CQ would likely not decide to do what they decide to do near the end of this chapter if they were being historically-accurate. No, I don't care. The opportunity was too good to pass up, and I regret nothing.

* * *

As the light of dawn began to paint the sky and snow a rosy hue, He Xiao decided that a good morning's sleep was in order—after checking on Chu Da Ren, of course. He could see the next rotation of guards making its way towards the barracks, grim determination on the soldiers' faces as they prepared to protect their beloved general. He Xiao walked the short distance to the door and pushed it open, stepping over the threshold before stopping in complete shock.

In the dimness of the filtered light, he could just barely make out not one but two bodies huddled in his bed. He stepped closer and was able to make out Chu Da Ren's form and, as he'd suspected, that of Young Master Yue as well. His initial reaction was to scowl at the realization that this man had managed to bypass all of their security measures in order to get to Chu Da Ren, but he shrugged his feelings off with the explanation that Young Master Yue was capable of sneaking anywhere he pleased—especially if said location was also Chu Da Ren's.

 _Obviously, he pleased to...assist Chu Da Ren with her recovery first-hand,_ the warrior thought, smiling softly. _At least I can rest assured that no one but the best of the best got past us._

He Xiao scowled again as he realized that the fire in the small brazier had gone out, so he went outside to gather some supplies to relight it. After all, he knew that both Chu Da Ren and Young Master Yue needed warmth and comfort in order to heal properly.

 _Considering the position in which I found them, however, I figure that they probably have enough warmth to satisfy them,_ he thought as he walked back outside.

Some of his men looked up at him in question, obviously wondering what had taken him so long. He looked at them meaningfully as they gathered around him.

"When I went to check on Chu Da Ren, I first discovered that the fire in her room had gone out," he said pointedly at the rest of the guards, who looked shame-faced. One of them immediately took off at a run to fetch some firewood and a torch.

"I also learned that Young Master Yue decided to pay Chu Da Ren a visit _this morning,_ " he said, emphasizing the time of day for the benefit of his men. "He's currently sitting _beside_ Chu Da Ren's bed, _talking_ with her."

Their eyes were wide as they read between the lines of what He Xiao had said, but he could see that they'd all received his message loud and clear.

"I assume that your orders are that no one is to interrupt their...talk, sir," one of the men said.

"Of course," he said. "Nobody but doctors or-"

A flurry of royal greetings rang out behind him, causing He Xiao to mentally sigh in resignation. He and the men turned around and paid their respects to Prince Xiang, who simply looked at He Xiao in question. The warrior nodded once, and the prince's shoulders sagged slightly in obvious relief. His Highness strode through the men without comment and waited for He Xiao to open the door of the barracks for the prince.

Prince Xiang walked into the room and frowned at the temperature within, eyeing the young soldier who had just run into the room with the fire-building supplies. He stammered a greeting and apology to both the prince and He Xiao before turning his attention to his task. The young Xiuli quickly got the fire burning and left the barracks quickly, leaving He Xiao and Prince Xiang to stare at the sight that met their eyes in the extra light provided by the fire.

Young Master Yue had clearly propped himself up against a variety of cushions, pillows, and even, to He Xiao's amusement, his black robe, which was currently supporting his head—from the back, anyway. Chu Da Ren was nestled safely in Young Master Yue's lap and was being held in place by his arms, which were firmly wound around her middle. Her hands were resting over his under the covers, and her head was resting on his right shoulder away from his chest wound. His head was being supported not only by his robe but also by Chu Da Ren's neck and shoulder. The blissful expressions on both of their faces told He Xiao—and his guest, if he were not mistaken—all he needed to know about just how welcome Young Master Yue's presence was to Chu Da Ren.

The prince stayed by the brazier, staring at the couple with an inscrutable look on his face. He was obviously not as thrilled by this development as He Xiao was, especially given Chu Da Ren's family history and her previous actions in Chang'an. He Xiao knew that, if the prince had his way, Young Master Yue—and Prince Yuan Song, for that matter—would both marry women who were more suitable in the eyes of society.

The warrior almost rolled his eyes at the notion of Young Master Yue marrying some high-society woman who would either drive him to drink or murder within a week. And the younger prince—should he marry some empty-head who would merely tolerate his one arm and scars for the sake of money and power? He Xiao was not ignorant of the way the world worked, but he felt he'd seen enough of the world to recognize the brokenness of some of its supposed workings.

A fierce face filled with a proud fire crossed his own mind, and he admitted to himself that he was heading down the same path as Young Master Yue and Prince Yuan Song—at least in terms of the type of woman in which he'd become interested. No, he would never settle for a pretty face that masked a dull personality, either.

Without saying a word, the prince exited the room and the barracks, gesturing with his head for He Xiao to follow him. He walked slightly behind the prince, not surprised when he stopped at the edge of a nearby ridge that overlooked the icy lake and its shores. Such spots were, after all, convenient for reflection, and he'd seen many soldiers take advantage of the stark beauty of Xiuli Mountain while trying to deal with their demons.

They stood at the edge of the ridge together in awkward silence, the commander wondering why the prince had bothered to invite him along since His Highness clearly found his company undesirable. His Highness seemed to be struggling with something, and He Xiao was at a loss as to how to proceed.

"Maybe you can help me to understand something, He Xiao," Prince Xiang finally said.

"I am, of course, at your disposal, Your Highness," He Xiao said, clasping his hands and bowing.

Xiang waved away He Xiao's formality and forged ahead.

"Could you explain to me what appeal a woman like Chu Qiao holds for a man like Yuwen Yue? Now don't get me wrong," the Prince said, obviously seeing the look of indignation that had formed on He Xiao's face. "I mean no disrespect to your general. I know she's a good at teaching, leadership, and inspiring loyalty—a little too good, in fact. But what about her would make a man like Yuwen Yue- General of Wei, leader of the Eyes of God, and inheritor of the Yuwen fortune—actually want to marry her?"

He Xiao wished fervently that he was sitting in the infirmary talking with Xia Chong or standing guard outside of the barracks or doing anything but what he was currently doing.

 _I'd even settle for trying to have a conversation with Phoenix again._

"I am just a simple soldier and am much too humble a man to be able to speak for one such as Young Master Yue," He Xiao said. "I can, however, speak for myself—at least in terms of why I've dedicated my life to serving Chu Da Ren. As for love, I can't explain that, either, beyond the loyalty I feel for Chu Da Ren."

Xiang nodded impatiently in understanding.

"I like to tell people that Chu Da Ren earned my loyalty the day she came back for me—for us—at the gates of Chang'an, but in all honesty, I knew I was hers when she was willing to take my punishment for me in the Xiaoqi Camp. Commander Xue had framed me for embezzlement and was trying to kill me again, and just as he was about to execute me, she rode up and just...took over. She set Xue back on his heels, knelt down next to me, and then promptly passed out due to what I later learned was a wound similar to what Miss Meng suffered when she fought A'Jing. So there I was, seemingly having escaped death yet again, and then Young Master Yue came up to the platform with this look on his face...I knew then how things were between them—at least on his part. He lifted her so tenderly and took her away..."

"Yes, yes, that's a very touching story, Commander," Prince Xiang said. "But you still haven't answered my question. I understand the desire to serve someone who saved your life multiple times. I also understand the loyalty that a soldier can feel for a comrade-in-arms or a superior officer; I have, after all, been a soldier myself for quite some time. What I don't understand is how this affection and loyalty can lead to a life-long commitment like marriage—especially when such an alliance does nothing but harm to the Yuwen family's already-damaged reputation."

"Once again, Your Highness, I can't speak about romantic love, but I can say that Chu Da Ren was the first person who treated me like a man—like a human being—since I left Yanbei that first time. In her eyes, I was worth something—I was worthy of saving. We all were. Kneeling on that platform, I reminded my men that the greatest honor a soldier can have is to die in battle. Chu Da Ren gave us the means to do that, both in Chang'an and in Yanbei. For her, I killed your people; for her, I killed my people. Now where else would I go if not with her?"

"But Yuwen Yue's not in that situation," Xiang said in exasperation. "He's not desperate. He doesn't need saving."

"Isn't he?" He Xiao asked softly. "Doesn't he?"

"No!" Xiang said. "He could have almost any woman in our land, and many women from other lands would be happy to share his life—among other things—as well. He could've even had my sister if he'd have wanted, and maybe..."

He Xiao stared out at the icy lake, giving the prince time to regain his composure. The last thing he wanted was to spark a confrontation with the leader of the forces that had come to Yanbei to kill him and his people.

"The look that Young Master Yue had on his face that day at the platform...I've seen it numerous times since," He Xiao said, his face pointed towards the icy lake. "He may not be desperate for money or power or influence, but he is desperate for her. And he does, sometimes, need saving; Chu Da Ren rescued him only a few days ago, in fact—not to mention during the battle. He also needs saving from the loneliness and despair he feels when she's not by his side—a loneliness that Chu Da Ren would now share were they to be parted."

"This is getting us nowhere," Xiang said in frustration. "If you can't provide me with a solid answer as to why Yuwen Yue would be willing to give up everything for a woman like Chu Qiao, then maybe you could at least tell me why I should trust her not to betray him for the right price. Why should I trust her, He Xiao?"

"Trust?" He Xiao growled, knowing that he was on the verge of saying something foolish but not being able to contain himself. "Who are _you_ to dare to accuse _her_ of being untrustworthy? _You_ are a royal of Wei. _Your_ people— _your_ father—are responsible for the unprovoked slaughter of tens of thousands of innocent Yanbei citizens. _You_ murdered our ruler and his entire family—including his youngest son, whose soul _you_ ripped out that day, leaving nothing but a husk of a man behind. _You_ allowed the nobles of Wei to slaughter them all for political gain and because of personal vendettas. _You_ tricked us into opening the gates of Hongchuan for you, thinking that you'd come in peace. Then _you_ butchered us like cattle for no reason other than you could. And then _you_ had the gall to blame _us_ for the entire affair and to treat us like _we_ were the traitors when _you_ were the murderous liars all along."

He Xiao took a deep breath, trying to stop the harsh panting sounds he could hear wheezing in and out of his lungs. Prince Xiang was shocked into silence by He Xiao's tirade, so the commander figured that if he were going to die today, then he may as well earn his death by defending his beloved general to the best of his ability.

"So here _you_ are, standing before me and questioning _her_ loyalty to the man she never even got the chance to love until now in part due to the actions of _your_ people. Of course she wanted to run away from Wei. To you, she was a slave, but to us, she was—she is—our leader, our general. _We_ offered her freedom. _You_ offered her enslavement. Even when she was free, she wasn't, not really. None of us were."

"Which is why you all betrayed us, I suppose," Xiang said, sneering.

"Ah, yes. Our rebellion. Why did our rebellion succeed? Because we knew exactly where _you_ were going to waylay our prince and slaughter him and his retinue like dogs on his wedding day—and your own sister's wedding day, too. Your father murdered her that day, too, didn't he? His own daughter. Yes, Chu Da Ren is clearly the untrustworthy one here. Chu Da Ren might not always make the right choices, but she's never betrayed someone who didn't betray her first. She's never deliberately harmed the innocent. She's never turned her back just for the sake of convenience on someone she loved or felt responsible for—like your own sister and brother, for instance. All of the mistakes she's ever made, she's made due to lack of information, not due to lack of character. Can you say the same thing on behalf of your family, Your Highness?"

He Xiao felt a sense of peace come over him. After all, he'd said his piece and had stood up for his general to a man that would likely do his best to try to destroy the happiness she'd finally managed to find.

"If that's how you really feel about us, then why should I believe that you really want to stop fighting with us?" Xiang asked into the silence.

"Why did you decide to make peace with us instead of seizing what was there for the taking?"

"Because my brother convinced me that making peace instead of causing more bloodshed was the right thing to do."

"Just so, Your Highness," He Xiao said, nodding. "I hate your family for what you did to us, but I love my people and my homeland even though they don't feel the same way about me and my men. If all of you Wei royals caught some dreadful disease and died tomorrow, I wouldn't shed a tear for any of you—except Prince Yuan Song, of course; he's the only one of you that seems to have a shred of integrity. But my people—they don't have the means to fight another war. All they want to do is live in peace and put the past behind them."

"So the same people who condemn _you_ for doing what you had to do to survive are themselves willing to hold their own noses and do what _they_ need to survive while justifying it in the name of 'peace'?"

He Xiao smiled humorlessly.

"People are people wherever you go, Your Highness. Chu Da Ren discovered that as well, to her dismay. She wanted so desperately to believe in the ideals of Yanbei, but so many of our leaders were just as corrupt as those in Chang'an. Maybe that's why I've pledged myself to Chu Da Ren's service: She's the only one who's ever proven herself to be worthy of it."

"Worthy? I guess so, from your perspective," Xiang mused, his mask firmly back in place. "What makes her think she's worthy of Yuwen Yue's love, though?"

"In all honesty, I don't think that Chu Da Ren has ever thought of her love for Young Master Yue in terms of worth. Once she realized her love for what it was, she simply accepted its presence in her life and went on from there. Besides, Young Master Yue's love for her was so obvious, why would she want to hurt him more than she already has by denying him her love out of some selfish sense of selflessness?"

"So she's willing to hurt him socially and politically? That doesn't sound very loving to me."

"She probably feels that anyone who would look down on Young Master Yue for marrying the woman he loves is likely not worth much. Or perhaps she would say that Young Master Yue's happiness matters more to her than the opinions of others, and that if he's willing to sacrifice power and influence for their love, then who is she to deny him the chance to have what she wants to give him?"

"What could she possibly want to give him that any other woman in all the land couldn't give him better? Or maybe she already has given it to him and that's why we found them in their current positions."

He Xiao looked at the prince in disappointment.

"That's a most unworthy thought for one such as yourself, Your Highness. Must I also defend the man who is supposed to be your friend from your attacks?"

"Yuwen Yue is my friend, which is why I'm trying to save him from making the biggest mistake of his life."

"Something tells me that he wouldn't appreciate your help in this matter."

"Not at first, but once I got him to see that Chu Qiao couldn't be trusted, that she'd turn on him if given the offer of something better..."

He Xiao goggled at the prince, unable to follow his logic.

"Whatever you're planning won't work, Your Highness," he said. "Not if you're going to try to trick her into renouncing her love for Young Master Yue. You saw the expression on her face just now. Is she such a great actress that she's able to look so blissfully contented even in sleep?"

"I've learned to never underestimate her," Xiang said, scowling. "If anyone could show the world a pretty face while plotting its destruction, it would be Chu Qiao."

"Chu Da Ren can be quite good at destruction when she puts her mind to it," He Xiao agreed, "yet she never destroys anyone else's world unless that person has tried to destroy her world first. I would advise Your Highness to not attempt to destroy Chu Da Ren's happiness with Young Master Yue; you won't like the results."

"Your blind loyalty to your general is heart-warming, I suppose."

"My loyalty to Chu Da Ren is anything but blind, Your Highness—unlike some I could name who serve others out of family obligation or fear no matter what horrible things those in charge do."

Prince Xiang's lips tightened.

"Speaking of family obligations, how do you suppose Chu Qiao will handle having to share Yuwen Yue with the other women he's sure to marry later in life? Surely she won't expect him to limit himself to only one woman—especially as she ages and loses some of that beauty to the ravages of age and childbirth."

"She'll expect him to do so because she trusts him. While Chu Da Ren is often suspicious of most people and their professions of goodwill, I doubt she's skeptical of Young Master Yue's love for her—or his desire for her and only her."

"What does taking multiple wives have to do with love and trust? What makes her think she has the right to demand such restraint of her husband?"

"Would you expect any woman you married to be faithful to you?"

"Of course!"

"Well, then, why wouldn't Chu Da Ren feel herself to be worthy of the same consideration?"

"Because she's a woman, and women have to accept their place in society for the good of the family unit—and thus the entire country."

"So women must be loyal to their men even if their men aren't loyal to them?"

"Of course men should be loyal to their women. They should make sure that their women have good food to eat, nice clothes to wear, healthy sons to raise, and, of course, money for makeup and baubles. In exchange, the women give their men their loyalty—and their bodies."

"Chu Da Ren would likely say that she wouldn't feel obligated to remain loyal to a man who was unwilling to give her the same promises of loyalty and fidelity that she was expected to make to him and that if she wanted to spend time around untrustworthy, disloyal men, she could simply remain a general."

Prince Xiang chuckled darkly as he nodded in agreement.

"She probably would, at that. Not that that's a point in her favor."

"We'll simply have to agree to disagree on that point, Your Highness—as with many others."

"Would you be willing to marry just one woman all of your life, He Xiao? Really? After all, you're a man of some means. You're a commander who could surely be a general in the new regime despite your reluctance to do so. You're a war hero now, one of the men who helped forge peace between Wei and Yanbei—assuming that the peace holds together, of course. You have the support of some highly-connected officials here. You're not high-born enough to marry a noble, but you could certainly have at least several well-to-do wives if you wanted to, you know."

A single face flashed through his mind, and he smiled wistfully.

"I think I already know what I want—and yes, I would be content with marrying one and only one—if she were the right one, of course. I've always felt that all of those men who married multiple women simply never found the right woman and were trying to make up for that lack with pleasure. As far as I've seen, all most of them ended up with was a houseful of bitter, vengeful, jealous women and their equally spiteful children. Honestly, I think Young Master Yue and Chu Da Ren have the right idea."

"Come on, He Xiao," Xiang scoffed. "Men like us don't marry for love, affection, and the like. We marry for power or money or obligation. Oh, maybe we have our favorites among our wives, and we spoil them accordingly, but we don't get to make them our first wives—or even our wives at all, necessarily. Sometimes we just have to take what we can get and accept our own lots in life."

He Xiao's face hardened.

"One thing I can promise you about Chu Da Ren is that she will never settle for being some man's afterthought, something that he can take, use, and then discard at a whim. Not that she'll have to worry about that with Young Master Yue, of course; his devotion to her is obvious. No, Chu Da Ren has found one of the few men in the world who is worthy of her and who will treat her as well as she deserves."

"Your loyalty to your general is commendable, He Xiao," Prince Xiang said coldly. "You may leave first."

He Xiao clasped his hands and bowed, retreating gratefully. His mind was already turning to Xia Chong—and his desire to avoid the fate laid out for him by the prince. On the one hand, He Xiao fervently hoped that Prince Xiang wouldn't make trouble for his general and her beloved. On the other hand…The warrior grinned fiercely into the early-morning chill as he envisioned the results any attempt of Prince Xiang's trying to get Chu Da Ren to give up Yuwen Yue for power or money.

 _On the other hand, I hope he does make a move against Chu Da Ren—and that I'll be there to see it happen._

* * *

Chu Qiao slowly glided up from unconsciousness, the scent of her beloved filling her with every breath she took. She was so comfortable and warm that she forgot where she was for a moment as she tried to reconcile her last memories with her current circumstances.

 _Are Yuwen Yue and I married? Are we in bed at Qing Shan Yuan?_ _If we're married, why don't I remember the wedding?_ _And_ _what_ _happened to_ _Yanbei, my Xiulis, the royals, and the Underworld? And why do I still hurt from the arrow wound?_

Part of her decided that she didn't care about any circumstances other than the delicious sensation of being cradled in her beloved's arms. She tried to listen to this part of her mind and fall back asleep, but something kept pricking the back of her awareness and preventing her from losing consciousness again.

 _It's light. Why is it light? When you fell asleep in Yuwen Yue's arms, it was dark, wasn't it? He asked you to marry him, then Xiao Ce appeared, then he asked you to marry him again, and you said yes, and…_

She drifted off into a pleasurable haze of remembrance as she recalled the feeling of being kissed thoroughly by the man she loved after she'd officially agreed to become his wife.

 _And then I must've fallen asleep after he resettled us...And now it's light._

Her eyes popped open and bugged out as she registered not only the presence of light coming through the windows but also from the freshly-lit brazier that was now providing heat and light for the room. The implications of the brazier also brought heat to her face as she realized that at least one person and probably more had seen her and Yuwen Yue in bed together.

She quickly put aside such unimportant musings out of concern for her beloved given that allowing such a thing to happen was highly out of character for him. Was his illness being triggered by the cold? Had his wound gotten infected, giving him a fever? Was he suffering from some other sickness unrelated to everything they'd already been through?

Chu Qiao slowly rotated her head until one of its ears was resting against Yuwen Yue's chest, and she sat there listening to the reassuring thump of what sounded to her like normal heartbeats. His breathing also seemed to be strong and regular with no traces of rattling or wheezing. She tilted her head up slightly and saw to her immense relief that his face was free of any signs of beaded sweat or physical discomfort. In fact, he looked more relaxed and content than she'd ever seen him.

Now that she knew that Yuwen Yue wasn't sick, the embarrassment that she'd initially felt over the likelihood of their having been discovered in their current position returned. She had never been a stickler for tradition, but even she realized that him getting caught in her room could damage both of their reputations. Of course, her reputation was already not the best anyway, so why should she care?

 _Especially considering that I already told the entire battlefield I was in love with him and have now agreed to marry him. They're going to have to get used to the fact that we're together anyway. No, I won't allow them to take away the happiness we've gained at such a great cost._

While Chu Qiao had now come to a place of acceptance about the fact that the two of them had gotten caught, she knew that her beloved likely would be bothered by it upon awakening. She knew that Yuwen Yue always took such painstaking care to do everything just so, and getting caught in bed with the woman he loved but had not yet married would likely cause him immense consternation.

 _Well, there's no point in waking him up at this point,_ she reasoned. _The damage is already done, and I know that he needs to sleep as much as I do—if not more. Besides, who knows when I'll get to enjoy this feeling again?_

Feeling somewhat rebellious, Chu Qiao shifted herself around again so that her face was almost next to Yuwen Yue's. He instinctively settled closer to her, returning his head to its previous perch in the crook of her neck and tightening his arms around her. Chu Qiao was glad that nobody else was in the room to see the sappy look on her face since she knew that it would likely have shattered her tough reputation.

Chu Qiao decided to put the matter out of mind entirely, not particularly caring what others thought of her at the moment. She carefully leaned her head against her beloved's, doing her best to not wake him up. Closing her eyes in contentment, she decided that if she had her way, she'd never have to wake up without him again. Not that she expected to have this opportunity again for awhile; she knew that both of them had many things to accomplish before they would be able to get married.

 _Will we even be allowed to get married? s_ he thought, irritated with her inability to banish these unpleasant thoughts from her mind but unable to keep them at bay. _After all, his grandfather might be dead officially, but his opinion still carries a lot of weight with Yuwen Yue, and I know Yuwen Zhuo hates me. And then there's Yuwen Yue's father, who's likely someone important and who would probably hate me on general principle anyway._

The reassuring sound of Yuwen Yue's breathing brought her out of her negative musings. Chu Qiao could feel the gentle rising and falling of his chest behind her back as he continued to breathe steadily, and she concentrated on the feel of his arms around her. She wished she could go back to sleep, but nothing seemed capable of stopping her mind from conjuring up these potential pitfalls to happiness.

 _Would I actually be permitted to go back to Qing Shan Yuan with Yuwen Yue after everything I've done? Even if Yuan Song puts in a good word for me, would Prince Xiang actually pardon me when refusing to do so would give him what he wants? He probably hates me, too, after all, and would likely do anything to keep Yuwen Yue from marrying me._

Another truth smacked Chu Qiao in the face, almost making her flinch from its reality.

 _I've always maintained that I didn't belong at Qing Shan Yuan, so do I really want to try to fit myself back into a place—into a life—that felt wrong from the start?_

Her mind's response was swift and united.

 _I would do it for him._

Chu Qiao knew that thought to be true; she would be willing to do anything for Yuwen Yue—even forcing herself to endure living in a place in which neither she nor her values was welcome. She was also savvy enough about politics to understand that Yuwen Yue's marriage to her would be viewed as at best a political liability and at worst a disgrace by many people in high places.

 _If Yuwen Yue is willing to accept their condemnation in order to marry me, then I can do no less. Besides, he's the one who cares about marriage. I've never cared about titles, chains of command, or qualifications. As long as I get to stay at Yuwen Yue's side till death, I don't care if I do so as his wife, his concubine, his bedchamber maid, his spy, his Yue guard, or his official brewer of Yanbei clay pot tea._

Yuwen Yue shifted slightly behind her, and Chu Qiao held her breath, wondering if her beloved were going to wake up. He didn't seem to do so, however, as he went still again, his head still tucked near her neck. She almost wished that he would wake up so that they could figure out what to do about their current situation—and so that he could distract her mind from these unpleasant thoughts.

 _No wonder I'm not particularly fond of introspection,_ she mused. _I'd much rather go back to talking to Yuwen Yue—or kissing him._

The thought brought her up short as she realized just how much she'd changed in such a short span of time. She tried to imagine the Chu Qiao of a few weeks ago actually wanting—craving, if she were honest with herself—Yuwen Yue's kisses and touches to this degree but was an unable to do so.

 _Did I really tell him to keep kissing me? Did I actually admit to loving the way he says my name when he gets emotional? Did I grab his hands and wrap them around my middle underneath the blankets? Did I casually talk with Xiao Ce while sitting on Yuwen Yue's lap? Did I initiate his second proposal and kiss him back so enthusiastically?_

She grinned in satisfaction as she answered all of those questions with a proud "Yes." Chu Qiao had never been one for back-tracking, and she had no desire to return to being that unhappy, fearful woman she'd been just a few short weeks ago. Those days were completely behind her, and she looked forward to continuing her journey at the side of her beloved.

 _Or in the arms of my beloved_ , she thought, smirking. _That works quite well for me, too._

To her delight, she felt that tell-tale pull of unconsciousness start to tug at her again. Once again, she concentrated on the evenness of Yuwen Yue's breathing, the warmth of his body wrapped around hers, and the soft shushing sound his breath made as it entered and left his body.

 _If Yuwen Yue wants to marry me, then he's probably going to have to be the one to make it happen. Or maybe I can change things somehow, just like I did back in my palace room what seems like another lifetime ago._

Chu Qiao shuddered as a vision took hold of her, her mind playing out for her what might have happened had she chosen to stay with Yan Xun instead of acting on her misgivings. She knew that Cheng Yuan would've escalated hostilities eventually, probably sooner rather than later. She also understood that Yan Xun would never have stopped his quest for vengeance—against Wei or against Yuwen Yue. Eventually, she would've had to have chosen between the two men no matter what—and she knew what her choice would've been then, even without the time she and Yuwen Yue had spent together in the cave.

 _Was there actually a time when I was unsure about my feelings for either man? s_ he asked herself as sleep once again pulled her under. _How silly..._

* * *

Yuan Song had been able to tell from the set of his brother's shoulders and the thinness of his lips that something had perturbed him. They were currently sitting in two wooden chairs in his brother's large tent, sipping tea in awkward silence. The young prince figured that his brother likely hadn't summoned him to this private space in order to talk to him about palace redecoration or royal wardrobe selection.

"So how's your morning been so far, Brother?" Yuan Song asked, smiling in encouragement.

 _Maybe I can get him to tell me what's wrong so that we can either end this awkwardness or address it._

"It's been...instructive," Prince Xiang said, scowling.

"Ah. I'm...glad to hear that, Brother. Learning new things can be good, right?"

"That depends on the nature of what you learn, doesn't it, Yu'er?"

"I know what you mean. So was what you learned good or bad?"

The frown marring his brother's face told him the answer.

"I see. Do you think that what you learned about is going to cause problems?"

"It might, Yu'er," Prince Xiang said, sipping his tea pensively. "It just might—especially if she..."

"'She' who, Brother? You came back from the mountain, didn't you? Is A'Chu alright? Or is it Miss Chong?"

"Both women are in good health as far as I know," Xiang said stiffly. "It's Yuwen Yue that I'm worried about."

"I heard he'd gone _missing_ ," Yuan Song said, grinning impishly. "I take it you _found_ him up on the mountain?"

"As a matter of fact, I did."

Yuan Song's grin stretched further across his face.

"And?" he asked eagerly, wanting to know every detail.

"And I found him. That's all you need to know."

"Come on, Brother! You can't just tell me that you found Yuwen Yue up on the mountain without telling me exactly _where_ you found him.

"From your tone of voice, you already know where I found him—and you would do well to remember that the walls of my tent are thin enough to warrant discretion."

"Of course, Brother," Yuan Song said, affronted at his brother's implication. "I would never say or do anything to endanger either of their reputations. Besides, I can't imagine Yuwen Yue doing anything too inappropriate."

"I suppose that depends on how you define 'inappropriate.'"

Yuan Song's eyes widened at his brother's pronouncement.

"Did you find him in her room, Brother?" he whispered.

Xiang nodded curtly. Yuan Song's mouth dropped open.

"Was he...standing in the corner watching over her?"

His brother shook his head.

"Was he...sitting in a chair between the bed and the door, guarding her?"

His brother shook his head again.

"Surely he wasn't..."

Reluctantly, his brother nodded his head.

Yuan Song was thankful that his eyes were attached to the inside of his head because he knew they would've fallen out otherwise.

"They were both, as far as I could tell, fully-clothed—mostly, anyway."

The young prince drained the teacup in an ill-mannered gulp and wished for something a little stronger to counteract this latest shock. Suddenly, he broke out into a toothy grin.

"You realize what that means, right, Brother?"

"It means that, for what's likely the first time in Yuwen Yue's life, he failed to wake up in time to escape from someplace he wasn't supposed to be," Xiang said wryly.

"It means, Brother," Yuan Song said as if Prince Xiang had said nothing, "that Yuwen Yue has likely asked A'Chu to marry him—and that she's said yes!"

"That's what I'm afraid of," Xiang muttered darkly. "Not only does she fail to bring the Yuwen family any good connections, she brings only bad connections—and no fortune to speak of. She's a political nightmare, a social outcast, and a disreputable rebel."

"I know," Yuan Song said, grinning. "A'Chu is the best—for Yuwen Yue, that is; not for me."

Yuan Song blushed as he realized what he'd admitted, but he figured that if this conversation ended up heading where he knew it would, then he needed to practice being a man in front of his brother.

"I was blind to his feelings for her, you know, Brother. I always miss those kinds of things. Everyone else knew that he was in love with her but me. And then in Chang'an, she...There was so much I didn't understand then, so much I had to learn..."

"Yes, Yu'er, I can tell your taste in women has improved significantly since those bygone days of a few months ago."

Yuan Song felt a prickle go down his spine and his face grow cold.

"I won't insult A'Chu by putting her down and am happy that she and Yuwen Yue will finally get the happiness they deserve, but I will agree that I have found a woman who suits me better in every respect."

"Well, I suppose she does have the benefit of not being an enemy of the state," his brother said. "At least she hasn't turned out to be the long-missing leader of an enemy spy organization. No, she's just one of the top killers from an enemy spy organization that Yuwen Yue neutralized."

An image of the pain that had crossed Meng Feng's face when he'd called her a killer after building the scarecrow with her flashed through Yuan Song's mind, and he felt his eyes burn hot in his cold face. How he wished he could go back in time and take back what he'd said to her.

"I'm a killer," he said forcefully, pointing at his chest with his hand. "You're a killer. Even our father is a killer."

He saw his brother's eyes flare dangerously, but he was not going to let his brother get away with demeaning Meng Feng while carrying some illusion that their own family was better than anyone's.

"You have no idea what she's been through, Brother. No idea at all. Do you know what happened to her family? They were all massacred by raiders. For nothing. Tell me, Brother, what kind of monsters do something like that? Massacre an entire family—an entire village—for no good reason? Oh, that's right: Our family did that."

"That was different."

"Of course it was different, Brother," Yuan Song said, smiling coldly. "We were the ones doing the slaughtering that time, so it was justifiable. Meng Feng found them, by the way. She came home from making scarecrows in the field only to find her entire family—her entire village—slaughtered. Does that sound familiar, Brother?"

"You're not doing a very good job of convincing me to take a chance on this woman."

"No, I don't suppose I am from your point of view. She was taken against her will to the Afterlife Camp. They poisoned her, forced her to kill or die. She chose life, and she did what she had to do to stay alive—just like I did the day I watched our father and my so-called friends murder one of my best friends while I did nothing to stop it. Not that I could've done anything; Mother made that quite clear. But yes, our own family is obviously too good for a _killer_ like Meng Feng."

"You've changed, Yu'er."

"Of course I have. How could I not? Did you not change after you left Chang'an for the front? War and deprivation change a man—as does falling in love."

Yuan Song poured another cup of tea, bracing himself for more anger from his brother. He was caught unawares when Xiang suddenly changed tactics on him—but he was an excellent strategist, after all.

"Okay, so you claim to love this woman, right, Yu'er?"

"I do."

"Then why do you want to bring her into our family if you find it so repugnant?"

"Because she's strong enough to handle the dirty politics and the assassination attempts—as she's already demonstrated. And because she loves me, too, and wants to spend the rest of her life with me. I wasn't lying to you when I called her my right hand, Brother."

"Okay, so we can compromise, right, Yu'er? I'm not an unreasonable man, and I don't want you to be unhappy. In fact, I've been where you are right now myself."

"Really?" Yuan Song asked, sipping from his tea cup with narrowed eyes.

"Really," Prince Xiang said, smiling. "I've been to the front, Yu'er. I know what it's like. It's you, your men, and a few women who...well, all of you are holed up in the middle of nowhere feeling like you're the only people in the entire world. So naturally you gravitate towards someone. You start to have feelings for her even though you know you shouldn't, and then you..."

"My relationship with Meng Feng isn't like that, Brother—and neither is she. We haven't done anything like...that."

"I never said you had, Yu'er," Prince Xiang soothed, pouring Yuan Song another cup of tea. "All I meant was that I know how that sort of isolation and deprivation can wear on you and cause you to do things you normally wouldn't do—and to form bonds with people who are outside of your social sphere. War truly can be the great equalizer."

"So what sort of...compromise are you suggesting, Brother?"

"The obvious solution is quite simple, Yu'er. Appoint Meng Feng to be the captain of your guard. Have a relationship with her if you must. If you're still interested in her in a few years when you're ready to marry, then you can take a wife of high social standing as you inevitably will and then take Meng Feng as your concubine. Even if some people will suspect you of having had a relationship with her in those intervening years, nobody will care because you will have preserved the appearance of decorum."

Yuan Song carefully set down his cup of tea out of fear that he would crush it in his hand. The raw fury that he felt frightened him due to its intensity—especially when he saw his brother widen his eyes in recognition.

"I will never treat the woman I love like she's some illicit dalliance that I can simply discard after I've grown tired of her," Yuan Song said, his tone as flat and frozen as the newly-formed covering over the icy lake. "She will be my wife, my princess, and the mother of my children—not a slave or a prostitute."

"Surely you know that that cannot be, Yu'er," his brother said, still talking in his condescending "mediator" voice. "You are a prince of the Yuan family and the ruler of Yanbei. By the laws of nature and heaven, you must marry someone who is your social equal."

"Like who, Brother?" Yuan Song asked. "Who would be a more acceptable wife for me? Would you have accepted somebody like Xiao Yu? After all, she _was_ a princess. She was beautiful. She was smart. She was refined. She was powerful—well connected, too. She had great bloodlines; she would've been excellent breeding stock. Just think of what could've been had I married such a suitable woman. Would her status as a 'killer' have bothered you, Brother? Or would you have been able to overlook it due to the economic and military possibilities of an alliance with Liang?"

"Yu'er, you've deliberately chosen the worst possible example-"

"How so? Was Xiao Yu not the epitome of everything you'd want in a wife for me? Would you not consider the same qualities that I just mentioned when selecting my future wife? How would you know you wouldn't be setting me up with another Xiao Yu—or would you not care so long as she had a pretty face and a wealthy family?"

"She would, of course, be properly vetted-"

"By whom, Brother? Who would be your choice of an investigator in this instance? Would you choose someone who had years of experience in espionage and whose information you'd find trustworthy? Or would you, perhaps, be inclined to disregard his advice in this matter due to his own personal choices?"

"I would trust Yuwen Yue to look into such matters on your behalf—if not his own."

"And what do you feel that he would have to say about Meng Feng, Brother? Do you think that he would give her a positive recommendation or not?"

Prince Xiang's mouth tightened again, and Yuan Song smiled on the inside.

"You did say that you would trust Yuwen Yue's judgment in this matter, Brother."

"Maybe I should reevaluate that trust given his own choices as you said, Yu'er."

"Now you're contradicting yourself, Brother. You don't sound very certain at all."

"I'm certain that Miss Meng is not an acceptable choice of bride for you, Yu'er, and that's all that matters. Why are you in such a hurry to settle down, anyway? You're still so young. Why don't you have some fun before you commit to a marriage? You're going to be officially installed as the ruler of Yanbei, after all, and you certainly won't lack for female companionship. I'm not, of course, suggesting irresponsible behavior, but there are certain pleasures to be enjoyed before settling down."

"I could, of course, enjoy many of those 'pleasures' you speak of with a wife—with the added bonus that any child resulting from such 'pleasures' would be legitimate. Sharing those 'pleasures' with anyone other than the woman I love wouldn't be fun, and as for why I'm in such a hurry to settle down...From the moment I lost my arm, I felt...incomplete. I was no longer whole. Part of me was missing. To my surprise, I found a woman who was both a strong right arm and a compassionate right hand who completed me. Meng Feng makes me feel whole, so why wouldn't I be in a hurry to settle down with her? Would you want to spend any more time than necessary without a part of yourself, Brother?"

"Yu'er, I know that losing your sword arm was a terrible blow, and that you're afraid that some women might find it to be a problem-"

Yuan Song laughed bitterly.

"Many women would find my lack of arm and the stump I have left to be repulsive but would probably tolerate them only for the money and influence I could give them. Meng Feng has never seen my handicap as a problem, though; she's always treated me like a man. She makes me feel like a man," he said, his voice softening at the end.

"You shouldn't need a woman's help to feel like a man."

"What could be more manly than choosing your own wife?"

"Choosing a wife that would bring honor to your family."

Harsh laughter rang out from Yuan Song's mouth again.

"Bring honor to our family? When was the last time we did anything to bring honor to our family? By marrying a woman like Meng Feng, I would improve the amount of honor present in our family by leaps and bounds."

"I still don't understand why you can't just hire her as your personal guard and spend time with her discreetly. That's what I would do if I were you."

Yuan Song looked at his brother in sad disillusionment.

"Would you, really, Brother? If you truly loved a woman—not just liked her, not just found her attractive, not just lusted after her, but actually loved her—would you actually force her to demean herself in such a way just to be with you? Would you really demonstrate how little she means to you not just to everyone else but to her as well?"

"That's just the way the world works, Yu'er."

"You're right, Brother," Yuan Song said, draining his last cup of tea and standing to his feet. "This conversation has convinced me that allowing Meng Feng to join our family would be a most unworthy match, indeed."

"I'm glad you finally realize that, Yu'er," Prince Xiang said warily.

"Clearly our family is not worthy of having someone as loving, caring, loyal, sensible, and capable as Meng Feng marry into it. Yes, we are unworthy of her in every respect. I will, however, do everything in my power to make myself worthy of being her husband. Thank you for the tea, Brother; I shall leave first."

Yuan Song clasped his hand to his chest, bowed, and walked through the heavily-beaded entrance to the sitting area only to almost collide with the woman he loved, who was standing mutely in front of the entrance. He paled as the tears in her eyes indicated that she had overheard at least some of the conversation.

At first, Yuan Song tried to glare a hole in the guards, thinking that they had allowed Meng Feng to stay in order to hear hurtful things. She shook her head at him, however, looked at the guards, looked back at him, and smiled meaningfully. Understanding came to him after a few seconds, and he gave the guards a small nod of acceptance. Meng Feng had apparently won over more than just the men of Yanbei, which was no surprise to Yuan Song given the nature of his beloved.

They walked out of the tent together, Meng Feng having wiped her face of all tears and emotions in order to appear casual and at ease. Yuan Song knew that, to the common bystander, she would simply appear to be his personal guard, her eyes ever-vigilant for any threat that might endanger him. To his eyes, however, her inner turmoil was obvious. Fear burgeoned in his heart as he thought about some of the things he'd said about her to his brother. How much had she heard? Would she object to anything he'd said?

 _Would she even…?_

Yuan Song was forced to stop his fearful musings when Meng Feng led him into the practice area, which was empty of anyone at this time of day and located at the fringes of the camp. She drew her sword and proceeded to do a furious set of drills that produced enough proper sounds to convince the few passers-by that she was simply training while her charge watched. He figured that she was also trying to burn off some excess tension, but he couldn't discern her thoughts due to the blankness of her face. Doubts assailed him again, but he banished them by allowing himself to become captivated by the graceful elegance of his beloved's fighting style.

Finally, she sheathed her sword and walked over to him. She leaned her sword against the inside of the crude, three-sided wooden structure that had been erected to provide a protected place for men's belongings—and for men themselves in case of bad weather, although they'd never admit to such unmanliness to anyone else. Yuan Song followed her inside and almost let out a grunt of shock as the arms of his beloved wound around his waist and her head came to rest on his shoulder.

"So many men tell their women one thing and other men—and women-another," Meng Feng said softly. "So few women ever get to hear their men defend them so fiercely—especially to family. Thank you, Yuan Song."

The young prince clasped his woman to him in relief, all of his fears melting away. He decided to address his biggest regret first.

"I'm sorry I called you a killer, Meng Feng," he said, kissing the top of her head. "I've wanted to take that back since I said it because you're so much more than what they tried to make you. We've all had to kill to survive, but none of us could've lived through what you did and come out of such an experience with your gentleness and compassion."

Meng Feng squeezed him harder, and he felt her shake a little in his arms as if she were softly crying.

"I'm also sorry you had to hear the things my brother said, Meng Feng," Yuan Song said. "Surely you know I would never make you do any of the things he suggested."

The woman he loved pulled back from him and looked up into his eyes.

"I would," she said. "If doing so meant being able to protect you, to keep you safe...I would. If anything happened to you because I wasn't there..."

Yuan Song placed his hand on the back of Meng Feng's head and tilted it up slowly, kissing her tenderly.

"That's not going to happen, Meng Feng. Neither thing is going to happen. You're not going to become some...um..."

"Companion?"

Yuan Song scowled.

"That's one way of putting it. You're not going to become one of...those, and nothing is going to happen to me because you're going to be there to stop the flurry of assassins that are going to come down on us like a blizzard on top of Xiuli Mountain."

"Should I add 'killing a flurry of assassins' to the list of benefits that you named when you were convincing me to be your guard?" she asked, smiling tearfully.

"Would that rank above or below 'socializing with Yanbei's oiliest politicians'?" Yuan Song asked, his natural playfulness responding to his beloved's attempt to lighten the mood.

"Oh, definitely above," Meng Feng said seriously before allowing the corners of her lips to turn up. "Of course, there might be some overlap between Yanbei's oiliest politicians and the assassins that will be sent to kill us."

"Naturally," Yuan Song said. "I wouldn't expect anything different. I trust you to keep us safe, though; you always have."

"I always will," Meng Feng vowed.

He leaned in to kiss her again, but the sound of footsteps approaching the practice field caused them to spring apart. Thinking fast, he pulled out the small crossbow that he carried everywhere with him and walked out of the small outbuilding. As the soldiers came around the side of the shelter, he presented them with the image of himself aiming the crossbow at a target and pulling the trigger. To his gratification, the arrow embedded itself in the middle of the target.

Yuan Song turned around and grinned at his woman in pride, his smile widening as she drew her own sword and went over to some of the wooden structures that had been erected for sword practice. He shot a few more arrows before abandoning his training, deciding that shooting someone because he was too busy watching the woman he loved would be bad for his image. None of the soldiers seemed to care anyway, and were, in fact, acting as if they didn't notice his complete absorption with his beloved at all.

 _We'll find a way to be together,_ he vowed. _I know we will. Together, we can do anything._

* * *

Yuwen Yue's internal clock screamed at him in alarm as it realized how much light was streaming into the room. The young master's eyes flew open in surprise and concern as his senses all tried to give him their inputs at the same time. While he knew that he should be most concerned with the fact that the level of brightness indicated that it was now early afternoon, the sensory inputs that he focused on first were those involving the scent, look, and feel of the sleeping woman he was currently holding in his arms.

Although this wasn't the first time he'd awoken with his beloved in his bed, it was the first time that he'd awoken with her in his arms—and on his lap. He was thankful that he was still so weak because he knew that he might have developed some...problems that would've been embarrassing to deal with in front of his beloved.

 _Even more embarrassing than falling asleep in bed with her and not waking up until the afternoon,_ he admitted ruefully.

He knew that there would likely be some unpleasantness resulting from his indiscretion, but being upset about anything was difficult when he was able to look down and see Xing'er sleeping blissfully contented in his embrace. While Yuwen Yue had grown accustomed to Xing'er's scent, nothing could've adequately prepared him for the experience of actually being able to see her wrapped up in his arms this way.

In fact, part of him was convinced that his current situation was just a dream or a hallucination that his mind had conjured up as he lay dying on the bottom of the icy lake or on the shores beside it. He could almost see Phoenix standing over him and sneering as he passed out from the cold and blood loss or Xiao Yu grinning in triumph as he drowned in the frozen depths into which he and Xing'er had fallen.

As if she'd somehow heard him thinking about her, his beloved began to stir in his arms. He figured out what she was trying to do and gently helped her to lean her head back in the crook of his arm so that she could look up at him. The love and adoration present in her gaze did nothing to dispel the dream-like quality of the moment.

Yuwen Yue brought his free hand up to her face and used it to trace an eyebrow, a cheek, the side of her jaw...He gently brushed his thumb over her lips and she kissed it softly, her eyes darkening a little at his attentions. Placing both hands on her back in support, he wasted no time in raising her into a favorable position for him to lower his mouth to hers and to ply it with lengthy, languid kisses that had none of the hurried urgency of their predecessors.

 _We have time, now, my love,_ his lips told hers. _We have time, and a future, and a life to live together._

Whether her lips understood what his were telling them or not, Xing'er seemed to be enjoying receiving his kisses as much as he was enjoying giving them. He did his best to take all of the strain off her muscles and onto his, but she gave no outward indications of discomfort or pain. Of course, both of them had gotten a good night's sleep once the excitement had ended, and it had clearly done them good.

 _She agreed to be my wife,_ his mind reminded him. _Xing'er is my fiance now, and soon, she'll be my wife._

The word "wife" jogged his memory—or, at least, it tried to. Eventually, Yuwen Yue remembered the small box on the table, and he reluctantly withdrew his lips from his beloved's. Xing'er murmured in discontentment, almost causing Yuwen Yue to forget about the final part of his mission and to lose himself in the lips of the woman he loved again. He steeled his resolve, however, and reached his hand towards the table, snagging the box by touch and bringing it before both of them.

Xing'er had more or less come to her senses and was looking up at him in question. He could tell that she could see the emotion in his eyes and that she had no idea what to make of it. Wordlessly, he opened the box and handed it to her, his gaze never leaving hers. She broke eye contact and looked down, a sharp gasp tearing its way from her chest as she recognized the contents of the box.

"Yuwen Y-, what? Where? But how?" she sputtered in bewilderment, tears misting her eyes as she beheld her coiled feather finger blade ring, restored to its former glory.

She looked back up at him, her beautiful, round eyes wide and full of emotion and confusion. So he told her the story of how he'd recovered it, what he'd assumed it meant, and how he'd buried it with the rest of the few possessions she'd left behind. Before he'd set out for Yanbei as Yuan Song's protector, he'd removed the ring from her supposed burial site and restored it, taking it with him to Yanbei even though he knew he'd likely never find the right time to return it to her.

"Right time?" Xing'er asked. "Why couldn't you have given it to me in the cave? We had plenty of time then."

"Well, Xing'er, I accidentally left it on the Meilin border when my people got attacked while I was gone."

"Visiting Xiao Yu," Xing'er said, pouting adorably.

"That's right, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said. "The visit with Xiao Yu was very fulfilling. She looked radiant in the moonlight as she destroyed the illusion of my pen friend forever and then almost killed me. That was truly a romantic experience to remember."

Xing'er smiled up at him sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, Yuwen Yue; I still have a hard time believing that Xiao Yu was your pen friend for years, masquerading as a man and pouring out her heart to you."

"Well, I'm having a hard time believing that I'm finally giving you your blade ring back the morning after you've accepted my marriage proposal while we're sitting in bed together."

"Believe it, Yuwen Yue," she whispered, looking at him with love as she reached for the box.

He gently stilled her hand with his and reached into the box himself, pulling out the ring by touch as his eyes never left hers. Her breathing quickened as she saw the look in his eyes, and her own sparkled with tears as he gently slid the feather ring home where it belonged. She ran her thumb over the top of the ring in disbelief, and he ran his thumb over the top of hers as the dream-like quality of the moment returned.

"If you left it on the Meilin border, then how did you get it back?" she asked.

"Yue Qi saw it as they were escaping and grabbed it, knowing how important it was to me," he admitted.

Xing'er smiled impishly and grinned up at him.

"Then I will go and say thanks to Yue Qi," she said, repeating the words she'd said to Yuwen Yue so long ago.

Yuwen Yue tried to scowl at her, but he could tell from her reaction that he'd succeeded in making his face go hard but not his eyes. Planning his next move, he placed the empty box and its lid carefully on the table next to their handkerchief.

"Do you really want to get up now, Xing'er?" he asked, turning the full intensity of his eyes on her again and inwardly exulting as he saw her gulp.

"Not at the moment, Yuwen Yue, but I have a feeling that we owe him for more than the ring," she said, tilting her head towards the crumpled handkerchief. "Who else would've thought to wash it so thoroughly and then place it by my bedside? I doubt it was Phoenix."

Yuwen Yue's lips quirked at the image of the fierce Underworld operative laundering their handkerchief and putting it where Xing'er would find it.

"Maybe one of the techniques that she and your mother developed involved removing blood from fine linens," he said straight-faced. "That would, after all, be quite useful in the field."

"Of course it would, Young Master Yue," she agreed. "After all, part of being a successful spy is looking pristine and handsome at all times, which is much easier to do when you're not covered in blood."

"You're right, Xing'er—and you're probably right about Yue Qi as well," Yuwen Yue said, acting as if he were thinking hard. "I should probably go thank him, don't you think? I'm sure he's worried about me. Yes, I will go and say thanks to Yue Qi—unless, of course, you can think of something more important to do, Xing'er."

"Actually, Yuwen Yue, I just realized that I never thanked you properly for this ring the first time," she said, looking up at him innocently.

"What exactly did you have in mind, Xing'er?" he asked, lifting her up higher on his chest again so that her face was close to his.

"I wanted to thank you with my mouth," she said, giving him a look that he knew would've caused him significant problems had he been in better physical condition.

"That sounds acceptable, Xing'er," he whispered huskily, lowering his lips to hers.

Before he could kiss her, however, she put a hand on his cheek, stopping him.

"What are you doing, Xing'er?" he asked.

"I'm thanking you with my mouth like I said I would," she said, her innocent expression returning to her face. She looked him in the eyes and said, "Thank you for the ring, Yuwen Yue."

She closed her eyes and snuggled into his chest, obviously being careful to avoid his wound. He stared down at her in confusion and dismay. Xing'er opened her eyes again, gazed up at him, and said, "I told you I was going to thank you with my mouth, and I did. What did you think I meant?"

Yuwen Yue scowled at her and lowered his mouth to hers, unwilling to let the woman he loved get away with such flagrant teasing. Fortunately for both of them, Xing'er didn't object to his actions in the slightest and kissed him back enthusiastically. For the moment, they had all the time in the world, and he intended to make every moment count.

He had no idea how long he'd spent lost in the lips of his betrothed before he heard several sets of footsteps approaching the barracks. His keen mind readily identified all three strides for him, and a mischievous idea appeared unexpectedly in his mind. Xing'er broke the kiss and pulled back, eyes wide; they grew even wider when he only let her draw back far enough to look into his eyes and read his intentions.

For a few moments, Yuwen Yue figured that Xing'er wasn't going to go along with his unspoken request. He couldn't blame her; after all, what he wanted to do could backfire on them if he'd underestimated any of the people about to walk in on them. Her eyes filled with impish glee, however, and he felt his blood ignite as she kissed him deeply and passionately, obviously wanting to make as much of an impression on their unwelcome guests as he did.

 _Or maybe she's just tired of us being interrupted all the time._

Yuwen Yue pulled the blankets up as far as he could, unwilling to allow any of their visitors to glimpse any more of his beloved than her head. Of course, holding up the covers also gave him something to do with his hands that was less scandalous than some other possibilities.

The three sets of footsteps stopped as one, but Yuwen Yue didn't react to their presence at all. As far as he could tell, Xing'er was playing her part as well, the two of them acting in perfect tandem to send a message to their visitors by their inattention to them. Yuwen Yue made a mental bet with himself about which man would have the courage to make the first move, and he won his bet a few moments later.

"I'm glad to see you looking so well, Qiao Qiao," the suave voice of Xiao Ce said from the doorway. "If you grow tired of Yuwen Yue's therapy techniques, I would, of course, be delighted to render my own services for you in that regard."

"Thank you for your concern, Xiao Ce, but Yuwen Yue has already made me feel much better than I did before," Xing'er managed to mumble.

"Ah, Qiao Qiao, but I could make you feel so much better, too. Just give it a try."

"Sorry, Xiao Ce, but Yuwen Yue has already offered me unlimited treatments for the rest of my life as long as he's the only one providing me with this type of medicine. I've decided to take him up on his offer."

Xiao Ce clutched his heart dramatically and declared himself to be heartbroken much as he had last night. He Xiao beamed in fierce delight, obviously ecstatic for his beloved general. Prince Xiang just looked awkward, almost making Yuwen Yue feel sorry for his method of announcing Xing'er's place in his life to his close friend.

 _Almost, but not quite,_ Yuwen Yue thought, acknowledging that his friend was likely going to try to talk him out of making such a disadvantageous match.

"Now that you're awake, Chu Da Ren, is there anything I can bring you—or you, too, Young Master Yue?" He Xiao asked, squaring his shoulders and stepping into the room.

"I'm thirsty, He Xiao," Xing'er said, smiling up at her faithful subordinate. "Could you bring me some water, please?"

"Yes, He Xiao, please bring Xing'er some water. Her lips are quite dry," Yuwen Yue said matter-of-factly, inwardly celebrating the awkward expressions now worn by their guests.

"Whose fault is that?" Xing'er muttered, pouting up at him.

"Dry lips are a common experience for those who are recovering from serious injuries, Xing'er. I'm just thinking of your well-being."

Yuwen Yue saw his beloved's eyes soften as a look of love appeared in her eyes that was shockingly open given their audience.

"I know you are, Yuwen Yue. You always have."

Xing'er continued to gaze at him, her eyes twinkling with mischief only he could detect. She allowed herself to get lost in her eyes, doing her part to make their observers squirm. Prince Xiang seemed especially uncomfortable; Xiao Ce actually seemed to be enjoying himself immensely, probably due to Xiang's discomfort. He Xiao seemed to have regained his equilibrium, probably due to the fact that he'd already walked in on them kissing once before and was now getting used to such a sight.

"I'm glad to see that you're looking better, Yuwen Yue," Prince Xiang said after clearing his throat. "Since you've had your rest, you should probably think about coming back down the mountain. There are, after all, a lot of delicate issues for us to resolve—especially now that we've been graced by the presence of the esteemed crown prince of Liang."

"So I gathered," Yuwen Yue said. "You are, of course, most welcome here, Xiao Ce."

"I can feel the welcome radiating off of everyone here, Yuwen Yue," Xiao Ce said, smirking. "If I were made any more welcome, in fact, I might think I was back in my harem."

"If the women in your harem look at you like the men around here do, then that would explain a few things," Xing'er said.

"You wound me, Qiao Qiao," Xiao Ce said, causing Xing'er to shake her head and give him a small smile.

"As entertaining as this is, I really do need your help, Yuwen Yue," Prince Xiang said, finally stepping into the room.

Yuwen Yue felt Xing'er shift around as if she were trying to get off of his lap. He didn't want this to happen for multiple reasons, so he wound his arms tightly around her middle and pulled her back into her original position. She looked up at him in question, and he rewarded her with his typical placid expression.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness," he said to his friend, "but I'm afraid that I'm still too weak to get out of bed at the moment. Besides, Xing'er needs my help with managing her back pain, which gets significantly worse when she's cold and lying without elevation. No, I believe I'll be indisposed the entire rest of the day."

"But you had the energy to climb up an entire mountain," Xiang said in exasperation. "How can you still be tired?"

"Because I climbed up the entire mountain," Yuwen Yue said without missing a beat.

Prince Xiang sighed in resignation, obviously recognizing typical Yuwen stubbornness when he saw it.

"Alright, Yuwen Yue, I understand. You've been through an ordeal and have perhaps...exerted yourself a bit more than you should have. I assume that you'll be well enough to resume your duties tomorrow?"

"That depends on how well Xing'er and I feel tomorrow," Yuwen Yue said.

"You can, of course, spend all of the time in my bed you need, Chu Da Ren," He Xiao said, his own eyes twinkling in amusement.

"Thank you, He Xiao. We've already put it to good use," Xing'er said innocently.

 _Xiao Ce really is enjoying this way too much,_ Yuwen Yue mused as he noted the barely-contained mirth evident in the prince's eyes.

"Yes, thank you, He Xiao," Yuwen Yue said placidly. "The bed has definitely helped Xing'er to recover her strength and energy."

"So I can see," Xiao Ce said, smirking.

"Actually, I think I feel another nap coming on," Xing'er said, her eyes drooping. "After all, this last little while has been quite exhausting."

With that pronouncement, she slumped over in Yuwen Yue's arms, feigning sleep. The other guests, he could tell, were unsure about the authenticity of Xing'er's sudden drowsiness, but nobody wanted to say anything. Yuwen Yue figured that he'd had enough of his present company for now and that he'd very much like to be alone with his betrothed once again.

"Now that you mention it, Xing'er, I feel sleepy as well," Yuwen Yue said, tightening his arms around his beloved and allowing himself to relax against her. "Sorry...not much control..."

He rested his head in the crook of Xing'er's neck and closed his eyes, slowing his breathing down to mimic sleep. The spymaster was immensely thankful for the years of training that allowed him to make no reaction to the awkward, somewhat clumsy departure of their guests. One of the corners of Xing'er's mouth was quirked, but fortunately it was the one resting on his chest, so he only knew she was smiling by feel.

As the footsteps faded from his hearing, Xing'er started to shake softly in laughter against him. Yuwen Yue tilted his head slightly and whispered into her ear.

"That was the most interesting experience I've had since...since..."

"Since you proposed to me and I fell asleep as I accepted; Xiao Ce snuck in, propositioned me, and begged us to keep Liang from getting attacked by Wei; and you proposed to me and I accepted again?"

He sighed.

"Yuwen Yue, I would ask you how we end up getting into situations like this, but..."

"But we more or less asked for this one, didn't we, Xing'er?"

"Mm," Xing'er said, real drowsiness creeping into her voice. "That's yet another thing we have in common, Yuwen Yue."

"That sounds like yet another good reason to get married," he whispered into her ear.

"Very good," she whispered back just as sleep claimed her. "Very, very good..."

Yuwen Yue couldn't help but agree with her as he held his sleeping fiance in his arms. He was no longer tired, so he settled in for an afternoon of doing nothing more strenuous than cuddling with the woman he loved. Yuwen Yue grinned in contentment at the empty room as he rested his head against his fiance's, marveling at the turn his life had taken.

* * *

AN: We're drawing ever closer to the end, y'all. Next week: Last of the mountaintop convalescence. Two weeks: Recovery at the mountain base camp. Three weeks: Showdown with Xiang; fallout. Four weeks: A batch of other loose odds and ends you probably don't care about anyway that I couldn't fit into the previous chapter because I'm too wordy. Five weeks: Wedding night double-shot (Unless I come up with even more material. I'm not going to come up with more material. Please, brain, I beg you: Don't come up with more material.)

Musical selection: "Feel Again" by OneRepublic. My favorite cover of this is by BYU Noteworthy, an a capella group, but if that's not your thing, then Alyssa Bernal has a pretty good cover. What made me think of this song was the realization that the first part of the first line sums up every scene that takes place in this chapter to some extent: "It's been a long time comin'." Of course, the song also meshes well with CQ's frame of mind right now, and some others who have gone through some lonely years, too. Bonus selection: Last week, I considered making "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell the musical selection of the week in YWY's honor but figured it was too cheesy. Given the way I ended this week's chapter, though, why not add a bit more cheese? The lyrics actually match XingYue pretty well, honestly, so enjoy this Motown classic as a tribute to our beloved spymaster.

Translation updates: ddmcmc has posted a new chapter summary at yunshengw dot wordpress dot com. Angel Chua has reformatted her fanfic, "Secret Princess," into chapters, which can be found at princessagents dot wordpress dot com /2017/10/08/the-secret-princess-fan-fiction-by-ac/ (I don't know if that last part will actually post; I guess we'll find out, won't we?)


	15. Chapter 15

AN: I'm just going to go ahead and post this now since it's Thanksgiving and I'm not even going to pretend that I'm going to proofread 15,000 words all over again tomorrow morning. Besides, it's probably already Friday where a lot of y'all live, anyway, so just consider this a Black Friday early bird special (which is a term that will mean nothing to at least some of you, which isn't a bad thing, really). I'm sorry if it's a bit rough, but I'm in full holiday mode and am pleasantly surprised I proofed this as much as I did-so if there are any stupid mistakes in here, I blame the turkey. I know this is long, but all of the chapters are going to be long from here on out since there is still so much to cover and I'm soooo ready for a break. I hope you enjoy this last bit of mountaintop convalescence; I know our OTP will. (Well, except for the angst. What can I say? I'm contractually obligated to write it.) Many thanks to Jane Dela Rosa (or pinayatsunshinestate for those who keep up with the translators) for reminding me that our poor babies must be starving; remedying this situation was enjoyable for me and will hopefully be so for y'all as well.

* * *

Xiao Ce strolled up to the barracks, giving the Xiulis standing guard over Qiao Qiao his foxiest grin. They bowed to him stiffly, obviously torn between not wanting to allow him to disturb their beloved general and not wanting to insult a visiting crown prince. He gave them points for brains and strode through the door and into Qiao Qiao's borrowed chamber beyond the entrance.

As he expected, Yuwen Yue and Qiao Qiao were still in bed together but were quietly talking rather than sleeping. Xiao Ce had suspected that both of them had been faking their sudden bout of uncontrollable tiredness, but the results had been so entertaining to observe that he hadn't minded the subterfuge. Seeing Xiang put in his place had been most gratifying, and he was glad that he'd been there to see it happen.

 _A man like Prince Xiang needs a good humbling every now and then in order to remain an effective leader,_ Xiao Ce reflected as he officially made his presence known and the couple finally looked up at him.

Not that the prince believed for a moment that Yuwen Yue and Qiao Qiao hadn't identified his footsteps well before he'd reached the barracks; the two of them together were way too mischievous for their own good. He felt a momentary pang in his chest as he imagined the many ways he could've brought out that playful side in Qiao Qiao had she-

"I'm glad to see that you've both recovered from your extreme fatigue of earlier," Xiao Ce said, grinning smugly while banishing those thoughts back to where they belonged.

"A nice nap can cure almost any problem, wouldn't you agree, Xiao Ce?" Qiao Qiao asked.

"Oh, indeed, Qiao Qiao," Xiao Ce said, nodding. "Of course, I can think of a few other activities that can have certain..restorative effects on patients...as can you, I'd imagine."

"Yuwen Yue has done wonders for my health," Qiao Qiao said, looking up at the spymaster with love in her expression. He stared down impassively at her, but Xiao Ce could see the emotions playing in his eyes.

"He has, indeed, Qiao Qiao, which is why I've brought this...special medicine with me to give to you," Xiao Ce said, pulling out a small tub from inside his robes with a flourish and staring at her expectantly.

"What is that?" she dutifully asked as he'd known she would.

"I'm glad you asked, Qiao Qiao," he said, taking off the lid of the little tub with exaggerated motions and running his finger across the top of its contents. "This, Qiao Qiao, is the secret to getting rid of those uncomfortable chapped lips for good."

Xiao Ce ran his finger provocatively over his lips, demonstrating the method of application for Qiao Qiao.

"Just a single application will help to moisten your lips after a lengthy bout of illness...or other pursuits, of course."

"Of course," Qiao Qiao said.

"The women in my harem frequently suffer from chapped lips-"

"I'll bet they do," Qiao Qiao muttered. Xiao Ce ignored her.

"-so I make sure that they each have a tub of this miraculous lip balm on them at all times. After all, they never know when they might end up in a situation that will result in chapped lips."

"I'm sure that's a constant danger around you, Xiao Ce," she said, smiling and shaking her head.

"Oh, it is, Qiao Qiao," he said, grinning wolfishly. "It most certainly is. And chapped lips can be such a turn-off, wouldn't you agree, Yuwen Yue?"

"I hadn't noticed," the spymaster replied.

"Of course, when you're dying of thirst, chapped lips are the least of your worries when you're finally allowed to drink."

"Just so," Yuwen Yue agreed, inclining his head.

Qiao Qiao looked up at Yuwen Yue and asked, "Are you thirsty? I could have He Xiao bring you something to drink, too."

"I don't think Yuwen Yue is thirsty for anything that He Xiao can give him," Xiao Ce said, grinning.

"He Xiao was good enough to lend Xing'er the use of his bed, which has helped me to slake my thirst quite a bit."

"Has it, Yuwen Yue?" Xiao Ce said, widening his eyes. "Or has it simply made you thirsty for more?"

The spymaster scowled at him, and Xiao Ce smirked back, knowing he'd won the round.

"At least I have the cup firmly within my grasp," Yuwen Yue said placidly, regaining his mask.

Xiao Ce hid his inner reaction to the hit, acknowledging that he was likely never going to win a verbal battle of wits with Yuwen Yue.

"Why are we talking about cups?" Qiao Qiao asked plaintively.

"I agree that we should move on, Qiao Qiao," Xiao Ce said. "So here's your tub of fabulous lip balm; you should apply it frequently—especially whenever you're going to be around Yuwen Yue in private. I have a feeling being around his dry nature will cause you frequent lip-chapping in the future."

"But how could he be dry if he has so much water...to..." Qiao Qiao trailed off and flushed in a quite becoming way as she finally figured out what their conversation about cups and water had meant.

"So you see why you'll need this lip balm, Qiao Qiao?"

"Because Yuwen Yue is going to be drinking so much water that it's going to make both of our lips dry?" she responded, widening her eyes in innocence.

"Exactly, Qiao Qiao," Xiao Ce said. His grin widened as he heard a tell-tale shuffling outside the door that indicated the awkward shambling away of the guards outside.

 _Mission accomplished._

"Now that your friends have finally given up on this conversation, I can tell you the real reason I came here."

Neither one tried to deny the eavesdropping ways of the Xiulis nor encouraged him to continue.

"As I was leaving last night, I just so happened to run into a somewhat untrustworthy-looking fellow dressed in black who seemed interested in paying you a visit, Qiao Qiao. You are, it appears, quite popular with the men."

"So I've noticed," Yuwen Yue muttered.

"Yuwen Yue! It's not my fault. I didn't ask for any of these idiots to sneak in here—including you."

"Oh? Should I leave, then?"

"Of course not. It's so cold and uncomfortable here that you have to keep me warm and prop me up. Besides, you don't have the strength to walk back down the mountain yet. You have to stay with me."

Qiao Qiao's breath caught on the last part, and she looked up at Yuwen Yue with wide, anguished eyes. To Xiao Ce's surprise, Yuwen Yue's face was also open and emotional as he looked down at Qiao Qiao with his heart in his gaze.

"I'll stay with you for life," he said softly, wrapping his arms around Qiao Qiao and seeming to forget that Xiao Ce was even in the room.

"As I was saying," Xiao Ce said, "I found this fellow sneaking around camp and convinced him that he would have much more fun coming with me than carrying out whatever plans he'd made. He seemed quite cooperative and allowed me to...secure him appropriately. I took him back to my camp, and he became quite talkative...eventually. He revealed that he had only been ordered to observe you, Qiao Qiao, but that he'd been instructed to do quite a bit more to Miss Chong."

"Did he tell you who his master is?" Qiao Qiao asked.

"Of course," Xiao Ce said. "As I mentioned, he was quite loquacious once he overcame his initial shyness. I have quite a way with such people, it seems. Anyway, he eventually shared with me that his master was...oh, let's just say that his master has a passion for boating and fine wine."

Qiao Qiao's intake of breath and sudden paling told him that she'd taken his meaning.

"I see that you recognize our mutual friend, Qiao Qiao. Do you know why he would send someone after you?"

Qiao Qiao looked up at Yuwen Yue; the two of them seemed to be having a conversation with just their eyes. Finally, Yuwen Yue reluctantly nodded and Qiao Qiao turned her gaze on Xiao Ce instead.

"He murdered my mother," she said softly, causing his eyes to widen. "My memories of the time right before my injury are still jumbled, but Xia Chong came by earlier and told me about how my mother gave her a small portion of her Ice Martial Arts abilities and made her promise to try to save my life. That man tried to frame me for my mother's murder, but Xia Chong recognized him as the former leader of the Afterlife Camp. I owe her a great deal."

"We both do," Yuwen Yue said.

"So it would seem," Xiao Ce muttered, not having expected that of all explanations. "Of course, you might soon get the chance to repay her if things work out the way I expect them to."

"What do you mean, Xiao Ce?" Qiao Qiao asked.

He simply smiled at her mysteriously.

"I don't want to say anything yet, Qiao Qiao. After all, I don't want to spoil the surprise."

Qiao Qiao pouted at him, and he knew that he had to get out of there fast before he gave in to her.

"I'll keep an eye out for him in Liang," Xiao Ce said. "I'll...take care of him if I see him."

"You don't have to, Xiao Ce. After all, I know he's been useful to you in the past."

"Not so useful that I can allow him to keep sending assassins after you, Qiao Qiao. And Miss Chong, of course."

"Of course," Qiao Qiao said, smiling sadly at him.

"You know, Qiao Qiao, I once asked him to do something for me and told him where Miss Chong was in exchange. Then I decided to go rescue her myself instead of waiting for him to...dispose of her, and that turned out quite well for all of us, I think. In fact, I think I'll go and pay her a visit now—unless someone else is already with her, that is."

Xiao Ce smiled roguishly at the woman he cared so deeply for but could never have.

"Enjoy the lip balm, Qiao Qiao—and you, too, Yuwen Yue," he said loudly enough for any eavesdroppers to hear them. "I shall leave first."

Both Yuwen Yue and Qiao Qiao gave him hilariously clumsy bows from bed as their eyes twinkled madly. How he envied them that closeness, that ability to take on the world together.

 _Maybe I underestimated Yuwen Yue,_ he thought as he walked out of the barracks and headed towards the infirmary. _Before today, I never would've thought him capable of sneaking into Qiao Qiao's bed or playing such a great joke on the three of us earlier today. Maybe he's not such a stick-in-the-mud after all—at least not where Qiao Qiao is concerned._

Xiao Ce's steps slowed as he approached the infirmary, but he saw He Xiao walk inside and sped back up again. If he wasn't mistaken, Miss Chong was likely about to be escorted down the mountain by the man who would become her husband in due time.

 _And I'm rarely mistaken in regards to women…_

* * *

Xia Chong was not surprised to see He Xiao stride into the infirmary given that he'd told her that he'd be back to escort her down the mountain in the patient wagon since she'd recently been discharged. She figured that the name "patient wagon" might be a misnomer since she assumed that most who rode in it were not doing so patiently. She knew that she was ready to get away from this frigid place full of bad memories, and she didn't know of anyone else up here who didn't share those sentiments.

 _Except, perhaps, for Yuwen Yue, and he has his own personal heat source to keep him warm and happy._

As He Xiao walked up to her and asked her if she were ready to go, she couldn't help but feel that her own experience in the patient wagon might be more pleasant than most others.

 _Except, perhaps, for Yuan Song and Meng Feng,_ she thought, remembering just how closely the young prince had been holding the injured pugilist when they'd finally reached the end of the main pass. He'd innocently explained that the location and severity of her wound had made bracing herself in the wagon difficult, so he'd just been doing his duty to keep her from moving around on the ride down. Nobody had taken his explanation seriously, but nobody had had the heart to say anything about it, either.

Xia Chong was happy for her former Afterlife Camp associate, but she couldn't help but feel a wistful pang of jealousy towards her. After all, she was in love with a man who loved her for who she was, not who she resembled. As He Xiao escorted her towards the wagon, she knew that she couldn't say the same.

 _Not that I'm in love with him,_ her mind was quick to point out. _I just happen to like him...a lot. But I'm definitely not in love._

She looked up at him and their eyes connected, and she found herself being pulled into his gaze just as she'd experienced ever since their first couple of meetings in the infirmary. Xia Chong hated the way that she reacted to him, knowing that acting on these feelings would be a mistake. After all, she knew that the only reason that he'd even noticed her was because she looked like... _her._

Xia Chong scowled, making He Xiao look at her in puzzlement. She did her best to give him a reassuring smile.

"I just stepped wrong," she explained. "I'll be more careful in the future."

He Xiao seemed satisfied with her explanation, although he still watched her closely. His protectiveness was both endearing and annoying, especially in light of her doubts about his feelings for her.

 _Would he get that same look on his face when he looked at me if he didn't see this particular face looking back at him?_

Given what they'd all been through in the past week, Xia Chong knew that allowing something as unimportant as romance to bother her was pathetic. After all, had she not recently fought for her life against a most hated rival and almost died? Had so many other people with whom she'd ridden to war not fallen to never rise again? What right did she have to be bothered that the man she...liked a lot likely only had those feelings for her because she resembled the woman he could never have?

 _Not that I've ever seen him look at her in an overtly romantic way before,_ she admitted. His intense gaze landed on her again, and she was forced to admit another truth: _I've never seen him look at her the way he looks at me. Of course, if he ever did so and Yuwen Yue saw him…_

Xia Chong knew that He Xiao worshiped the ground that his precious Chu Da Ren walked on, so assuming that he seemed to...like Xia Chong because of her resemblance to his favorite person was logical. Not that she blamed him for caring for Chu Qiao; after all, she felt some affection towards the woman herself because of the fact that Chu Qiao was Luo He's daughter.

 _Luo He showed me more love in my life in a few minutes than anyone ever had my entire life,_ Xia Chong thought as He Xiao walked quietly yet attentively at her side. _And yet would she have given me that love—not to mention a portion of her abilities—if I'd have looked like Xiao Yu or Meng Feng, or would she have just dismissed me as another enemy assassin?_

Her foot caught on a slick of ice and slipped out from underneath her. He Xiao was, of course, there to steady her, saving her from crashing to the hard, cold ground. He made sure to avoid touching her wound and held her with a gentleness completely at odds with his fighting style. The look of concern in his eyes was real—as was the presence of other emotions that showed that he cared for her welfare more than he would have were she a man.

He Xiao kept a steadying hand under her arm, and she didn't object to its presence. After all, he was performing a useful, practical service, and the last thing she wanted to do was to hurt herself even worse so she'd have to spend more time in this uncomfortable, forlorn place. No, she would be happy to put most of the events that had happened here behind her and to move on with her life in whatever capacity Xiao Ce saw fit.

 _After all, I do owe my master my life,_ she thought as the wagon came into view. _Could I really turn my back on the man who rescued me just to pursue a relationship with a man I've known for a week?_

The idea was ridiculous, but she couldn't deny that she was contemplating doing just that. So much of an assassin's effectiveness depended on making split-second life-and-death decisions, and Xia Chong couldn't deny how important He Xiao had become to her regardless of the shortness of their time together.

As they reached the wagon, He Xiao helped her into it, again doing his best to provide her with the support she needed without putting pressure on her side wound. She was not surprised when he climbed into the wagon and settled next to her, ignoring the few snickers that sounded from some of his men as he did so. He maintained his sense of calm dignity throughout the process of settling her in, acting as if such activities were part of his daily routine.

Xia Chong was unsure whether to be relieved or disappointed that nobody else was sharing the wagon with her and He Xiao. She wondered if, in spite of the teasing that the Xiulis had given their commander, they had decided to send down the few men who had been released from the infirmary earlier with the final wagon of the day instead of this one. Regardless of what happened later, she decided to enjoy this ride sitting next to this man she'd come to care for no matter how much doing so hurt.

"Thank you for taking me to see Chu Qiao," Xia Chong said to He Xiao as the wagon lurched and began to roll forward. "I'm glad I got to tell her about the things her mother did for me and how she saved my life."

"Chu Da Ren was most appreciative," He Xiao said. "Young Master Yue seemed slightly less so, although I didn't get the impression that he was displeased with you."

"That's one mind that I don't think anyone will ever figure out—not even Chu Qiao."

"Young Master Yue is an extraordinary man," He Xiao said. "In fact, he's probably the only man I know who's worthy of Chu Da Ren."

 _And the fact that both he and Chu Qiao trusted you enough to allow you to stay for our conversation speaks highly of your own character, He Xiao._

"Considering how often love and worth don't match up well, that's something we should be thankful for," she said instead.

"His Highness and I had a conversation in which we talked about love and worth—among other things. It was most...enlightening."

Xia Chong chuckled lowly. "I'll bet it was. Something tells me that His Highness doesn't approve of most of the relationships that have developed recently."

 _Including ours, were he to know about it—and if there actually were a relationship, of course, which there's obviously not._

He Xiao frowned. "He wanted to know about Chu Da Ren, which leads me to believe that he's going to make a move against her at some point. Not that I believe for a moment that he'll get the better of her, but..."

"But you don't want her to have to face any more problems than she's already had to face—which is both endearing and naive at the same time."

"Chu Da Ren and Young Master Yue will likely never be a normal couple," he said, shaking his head. "At least they're marrying each other so they can keep each other out of trouble."

"Can he really keep her out of trouble?" she mused. "She always seems to find it no matter what she does."

"She found us," He Xiao said, smiling fondly.

"Which just proves my point."

The wagon hit a rock and lurched, and Xia Chong couldn't prevent herself from hissing in pain as bolts of agony lanced through her side. He Xiao's good humor vanished as he carefully pulled her closer to himself, ostensibly to steady her against future disturbances. He held her loosely enough that she could've pulled away from him if she'd have wanted to; in fact, the uncertain look on his face showed that at least part of him expected her to do just that.

To her shock, she felt herself instinctively settling closer to him as if doing so were the most natural occurrence in the world. A shock of fear shot through her not dissimilar to the pain she'd experienced a few moments ago.

 _If any Xiulis were in the wagon with us, they'd be snickering,_ she thought darkly.

"So have you given any thought to what you want to do after we've resolved things here?" He Xiao asked her.

"Whatever my master asks of me," she replied flatly.

"And your master is...Xiao Ce, right?"

"Right," she confirmed. "He rescued me from the secret prison in Liang in which Xiao Yu had imprisoned me, and in exchange, I've served him ever since. I owe him my life."

"Now that, I can understand all too well," he said. "I feel much the same about Chu Da Ren."

"Are you sure?" she found herself asking.

He Xiao looked at her quizzically, obviously not understanding her meaning.

"Of course," he said. "She's saved my life numerous times and shown herself to be worthy of my loyalty and service."

"Is that all she's shown herself worthy of?" Xia Chong asked sharply.

"Well...I'm willing to lay down my life for her if necessary. I'm willing to do anything I can to keep her safe and happy."

"With Yuwen Yue?"

"Of course. Who else? She hasn't exactly been subtle about her feelings for him since the battle."

"And how does that make you feel?"

"Happy?" he said, the single sentiment coming out as a confused question. "What's this all about, Miss Chong? Have I said or done something to upset you?"

The earnestness in his expression only served to irritate her more as she felt thoroughly ashamed of herself. He was clearly not going to admit to having romantic feelings for Chu Qiao, so maybe he was telling her the truth about his lack of attraction to his general.

 _But that still doesn't mean that he isn't drawn to me because I look like her,_ she thought stubbornly.

"No, He Xiao," she said. "You've treated me well and have helped to pass the time while I was recovering. Now that I'm well, you don't have to concern yourself with me any longer."

Confused hurt showed on He Xiao's face.

"But I like being concerned about you, Miss Chong," he said. "I'd like to continue being concerned about you—if you'll let me."

"Why? Because I look like _her?_ " she asked, tiring of this pointless charade.

"Like who?" He Xiao asked in bewilderment. "What are you...What's this about, Miss Chong? You've been hinting at something since we got into the wagon, but I'm just not understanding what you're trying to tell me. I'm sorry if I've upset you in any way or made you feel like a burden."

"Never mind," she said, wincing in pain as the wagon lurched again. "Forget I said anything. It's not important. I'll heal up fully. Xiao Ce will send me on another mission. You'll go on serving Chu Qiao and will eventually forget about the woman you spent time with that one week who looked like your beloved general."

Xia Chong had expected to feel peace at finally getting her problem out in the open, but all she felt was emptiness. She didn't even see the point in looking up at He Xiao, whose hand was still braced firmly around her for some reason.

 _He is, after all, a creature of duty. However he feels about me, he's not the type of man to let me suffer needlessly when he can do something to prevent it. He truly is the best of men._

"Is that what you really think?" he asked, hurt lacing his tone. "That I've only spent time with you these past few days because of some sort of...affection for Chu Da Ren?"

"Your men certainly seem to think so," she muttered. "Everyone thinks so. Everywhere I go, people do a double-take and then judge me accordingly. Even Chu Qiao's own mother did; she only showed me mercy and love because I looked like her daughter, not because of who I was. Why did Phoenix treat me? Because I looked like Chu Qiao and had the same abilities as Chu Qiao and she wanted to know my story. No matter where I go, I'm always 'that woman who looks like Chu Qiao.' Maybe Xiao Ce will send me far enough away that I'll be able to outrun that stigma."

Poor He Xiao was sitting dumbfounded, seemingly unable to formulate a coherent thought, much less any sort of argument. She felt a pang of regret for hurting such a gentle, kind man, but she steeled herself against the pity, assuming that this momentary pain would save the both of them from experiencing much worse heartache down the road.

"That's not true, Xia Chong," He Xiao finally said softly. "I can't speak for anyone else, but I've spent time with you this past week just because I enjoyed doing so—and because I appreciated how hard you fought for us against Xiao Yu. If it weren't for you, I'd be dead now-we all would."

Multiple sharp retorts fought for utterance from Xia Chong's mouth, but she held them all inside, not wanting to hurt the man sitting next to her even more than she already had. Protecting them both from making a mistake was one thing, allowing herself to lash out at him in defensive anger was something she was unwilling to do.

"I love Chu Da Ren," he continued, barely speaking above a whisper. "I do. I love her more than I love anyone—at least at the moment. She saved me, treated me like a person instead of an animal, and earned my service by putting herself on the line for me numerous times just because she felt it was the right thing to do. There's nothing I wouldn't do for her. But I'm not in love with her; I never have been, and I never will be. Besides, I could tell how things were between her and Yuwen Yue fairly quickly—much more quickly than she herself could, in fact."

"From what I understand, that's not much of an achievement," she said, giving him a small smile.

"No, it's not," He Xiao admitted. "I love her, but she and Yuwen Yue have always had a...complex relationship. I think part of her did know she had feelings for him, but that another, larger part of her was unwilling to turn her back on what she saw as her responsibilities and unable to envision a future in which they could be together."

"You mean she couldn't have predicted this particular turn of events?" she asked, gesturing all around her at the pass and Xiuli Mountain. "How short-sighted of her."

"I don't think any of us could've foreseen things happening quite this way—least of all, me," he said, tightening his hold on her slightly with a questioning look.

As if on cue, the wagon hit another rock, almost sending her sprawling into He Xiao's lap. He gave her an intense look and righted her but pulled her the rest of the way into his lap. His arms came around her, but only tight enough to shield her from the worst of the bumps.

 _Since I look like Chu Qiao, I might as well try out one of her tactics,_ she thought, slowly placing her hands over his and drawing his arms closer around her.

The action put a bit of painful pressure on her wound, but she didn't care. All of the fight had gone out of her, unable to stand up to He Xiao's gentle, earnest explanations. While she didn't know for sure that he cared for her because of who she was, she did, at least, believe him when he said he wasn't in love with Chu Qiao.

"What are you going to do now, He Xiao?" she asked, tilting her head and looking up at him.

"Whatever my master asks of me, I guess," he replied, echoing her response from earlier.

"And what do you think that will be?"

"Well, she might want me to stay in Yanbei and help with the rebuilding effort. I could be a general, either taking over some other troop, rebuilding this one, or assembling an entirely new legion."

"Is that what you want to do?"

"It would make sense," He Xiao replied. "It would benefit the most people."

"Is that what you want to do?" she repeated.

"No," He Xiao admitted after a slight pause. "It's not. I've had my fill of being an officer and would be happy to never have to attend another officer's meeting again, much less deal with the sleazy politicking and boot-licking necessary to succeed. Besides, even if we make peace with Wei, the Xiulis—and I, by extension—will always be viewed as traitors to some extent. We killed thousands of our countrymen here; I don't think we'll ever be forgiven for that-or our past sins."

Xia Chong gave a harsh laugh. "Those who don't have to fight for their own lives are often judgmental of those who do—even if the fighting is done on their behalf."

"The moral high ground is, at times, even more desirable to some than the high ground to be found on a battlefield."

"Which is why you want to avoid that type of battlefield—at least for the immediate future."

He Xiao was silent for a few moments. "Is that cowardly of me?"

"Well, that depends on what you would rather do instead."

"So we're back to this question?"

"What question?" Xia Chong asked with her best innocent expression.

"That face won't work on me, Xia Chong. Once you've experienced Chu Da Ren's innocent face, nothing else compares."

"I suppose not. Yuwen Yue has his work cut out for him. So what would you rather do?"

"Serve Chu Da Ren," he said.

"Well, of course you would," Xia Chong said. "I may as well say I want to serve Xiao Ce."

"No, I mean I want to protect and serve _her,_ not the interests of Yanbei or Wei."

"I see," Xia Chong said. "So you would leave behind leading armies of hundreds in order to serve as, what? Chu Qiao's personal guard?"

"If I never had to lead another army, I'd die a happy man," He Xiao said with a fervency that shocked Xia Chong.

"Are you seriously telling me that you want to hang up your sword?"

"Do you really think that guarding Chu Da Ren would be a peaceful, easy existence?"

"No, but it wouldn't be the Battle of Xiuli Mountain, either."

"I know. If I never had to fight another such battle, I'd also die a happy man."

"Oh."

"Does that surprise you?"

"Of course it does. I saw you fight—with two blades, no less. You were...you were the best fighter out there who wasn't a pugilist with elite martial arts capabilities."

"What about you, Miss Chong? Do you want to keep being an assassin? If you could choose your future-"

"Who says we get to choose our future? Besides, I owe-"

"Yes, I know you owe Xiao Ce your life. But if you could choose..."

Xia Chong was silent for a few moments, but she knew that the wagon ride would soon be drawing to a close and that she might not have a better chance to say these things that she was now somehow able to express.

"My cover's blown pretty thoroughly," she said. "Most of the people in my line of work know who I am. Surely the others back in Liang know that I fought against the princess and was partially responsible for her death. And then there are, of course, the enemies I've made over my years in the Afterlife Camp."

"So maybe you're looking for a fresh start yourself?"

"Yanbei is too cold for me, but I fear that Liang might be too hot after recent events. Maybe...maybe I could go some place a little less inhospitable."

"A place where you could make a new start without having to completely start over again?"

"Exactly. Somewhere I could still hone and use my skills but not be completely cut off from...friends, even if I'd have to live with getting mistaken for Chu Qiao. Do you know of such a place, He Xiao?"

A look of longing crossed He Xiao's face, and he looked down at her with that intensity that had drawn her into his gaze from the start.

"I can think of such a place—but I don't know that we would ever be able to get there," he admitted.

"Well, I never expected that I'd be able to get here, so who knows what could happen?"

"Did you just say something...hopeful, Miss Chong?"

"You can call me Xia Chong like you did before, you know," she said, giving him a crooked smile. "I am, after all, sitting in your lap, so I think we can drop the formality."

"Do you have to be sitting in my lap for me to call you by your name?"

"Not necessarily; there are other ways for us to grow closer, you know."

His only reply to her was to look down at her with that potent look on his face which made his feelings clear. She cursed the sudden lurch that rocked the wagon and broke his concentration. In fact, she cursed the speed at which the driver was traveling since it meant their ride would soon be over. As if the pass could hear her, its mouth came in view before disappearing around a final bend.

"Xia Chong," He Xiao said, his intensity suddenly giving way to shyness. "I hope you'll allow me to keep spending time with you even after you've recovered. I like spending time with you; I want to keep spending time with you."

"So would I," Xia Chong said, unable to stop herself from returning the contagious grin that He Xiao sent her way.

Reluctantly, she let him settle her in beside him, obviously not wanting to cause a spectacle when they rounded that final bend. He kept his arm noticeably around her, however, and she didn't raise any objections. In fact, she tucked her head briefly into his shoulder, allowing a few of her feelings to show in her eyes before pulling away at the end.

 _Maybe I'm more like Chu Qiao than I'd like to admit,_ Xia Chong acknowledged to herself as the wagon finally rolled to a stop. _And maybe I'd like to have the opportunity to find out._

* * *

Not long after Xiao Ce had left, one of the Xiulis walked through the door after making a copious amount of noise before doing so. She recognized his tread and was surprised that He Xiao had sent someone else to do a task that he normally would've done himself. The soldier came in, bearing a shallow drinking bowl and a pot of water.

"Here's your water, Chu Da Ren," he said, setting the bowl down on the table and pouring some water into it.

She thanked him and took the bowl from his outstretched hand, bringing it to her lips and drinking from it gratefully.

"Is He Xiao well?" Chu Qiao asked in concern. "I thought he would've been back more quickly with the water himself, but..."

The Xiuli snickered, causing Chu Qiao to look at him in question.

"He Xiao is a bit...preoccupied right now, Chu Da Ren," he said, grinning suggestively. "Miss Chong was just officially released from the infirmary, so naturally, our courageous commander volunteered to do his duty to escort her to the lower camp."

"Really?!" Chu Qiao asked. "Those two? That's great! I knew he seemed attentive of her when she came to visit me earlier today, but I didn't pick up on..."

She trailed off as she noticed Yuwen Yue looking down at her with a particularly droll expression. She scowled at him, which didn't seem to phase him in the slightest.

"I agree that he did seem a bit...distracted," she admitted. "Do you think...?"

"Well, Chu Da Ren, he talked to her a lot in the infirmary, and he often sought her out even when he had us to talk to."

"Imagine that," Yuwen Yue muttered.

Chu Qiao pointedly ignored her fiance.

"I hope things work out well between them," she said, smiling at her soldier. "They've both been through a lot, and if they can find even a bit of the happiness I have..."

"As you say, Chu Da Ren," the soldier said, bowing. "Oh, yeah; I almost forgot. I'm supposed to ask you if you think you're well enough to eat something."

Her stomach rumbled as if on cue, making her smile sheepishly.

"Now that you mention it..."

"Would you like a bowl of broth—or maybe even some soup?"

"Soup sounds great."

"I'll bring some for you soon, Chu Da Ren," he said, making his exit.

Chu Qiao took another drink from her bowl, emptying it. She went to put it back on the table, but Yuwen Yue silently took it from her and placed it next to the water jar. Now that she thought about it, Yuwen Yue had been even quieter than usual since Xiao Ce had left. She had no idea what could've caused such a withdrawal, so she decided to try to figure out the problem.

"Did you know about He Xiao and Xia Chong?"

"Of course."

"What? And you didn't say anything to me?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you didn't ask."

"Yuwen Yue! You-! You should've told me! After all, we can't all be as observant as you."

"So I've gathered."

Chu Qiao ground her teeth. Part of her was inclined to accept that her beloved would always have his secrets and to let the matter go, but another part of her knew the havoc that misunderstandings between them could cause.

 _No, I won't let anything like that come between us ever again._

"Okay, Yuwen Yue," she said, looking up at him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Xing'er."

"Then why have you been so quiet lately?"

"Am I normally noisy?"

She huffed in exasperation.

"Okay, maybe I'll be able to guess what's wrong, then. Is it Xiao Ce's flirting? You know that that's all done in fun, right? There's nothing serious between us. There never has been and there never will be."

"I know."

"Okay, so are you bothered by the lip balm?"

"No, Xing'er; it's practical and useful."

"Okay, so are you worried about our having to face more assassins?"

"No. We're both used to that. We'll be fine."

"Of course we will."

Yuwen Yue said nothing.

"Are you hungry? Should I have asked him to bring you some soup, too?"

"No."

"Are you mad at me for not telling you about my mother's murderer sooner?"

Silence greeted her again, so she pursued this lead.

"Is that it, Yuwen Yue? I promise that I didn't even know for sure until Xia Chong told me the details. I know this sounds terrible, but since regaining my memories, I hadn't even thought about the particulars of my mother's death with everything going on."

"And now that you have thought about it?"

"I...I know that we'll have to be on our guard against more assassins? Well, and that I'll have to make sure she's avenged, of course. How could I face her in the afterlife otherwise?"

His eyes turned cold and remote; she could almost see walls building themselves within them.

"So I suppose you'll be leaving as soon as you're well enough," he said.

"Well, I hadn't really thought about it until now, as I said. First of all, I'm not going to be in any condition to hunt down anyone anytime soon. And then, of course, I need to make sure my Xiulis are taken care of and that Yuan Song is established on Yanbei's throne—and Meng Feng, too, hopefully. And then, of course, is our...our wedding."

Chu Qiao felt herself blushing and for once didn't mind doing so given the circumstances. She looked up at Yuwen Yue shyly, dismayed to see that his face hadn't lightened at all.

"I'm glad to hear that our wedding ranks so high on your list of priorities, Xing'er," he said. "I'm glad to know that getting married is more important to you than getting vengeance—or is it?"

She gaped at Yuwen Yue, having no idea what was going on in his mind. Where had this moodiness and hostility come from? He shifted beneath her, and at first, she thought he was just trying to get into a more comfortable position. Then he did it again, and she realized with dawning fear that he was trying to get out of bed—and out of the discussion.

"Yuwen Yue, what's wrong?" she asked, clutching his hands and refusing to let him go. "Why are you angry at me? I'm sorry, Yuwen Yue; I'm not good at this sort of conversation."

He made no reply except to continue trying to gently extricate himself from their nest. His eyes were still shuttered, and his face was hard as ice.

"Please talk to me, Yuwen Yue," she said softly. "At least give me a chance to make things right."

Yuwen Yue's mouth thinned as he refused to cease his efforts to get up. Chu Qiao made a quick decision and went limp, making herself dead weight.

"No, Yuwen Yue," she muttered into his chest, her own screaming in agony from the pressure. "If you're going to walk away from me, then you're going to have to hurt me physically as well as emotionally to do so."

"Xing'er," he muttered in exasperation, doing his best to take the weight off of her chest with the hands he'd pulled away from her waist. "Stop hurting yourself."

"Do you think leaving me while you're angry is going to hurt me any less? I'd rather suffer this type of pain than that one. I'm not willing to go back to those old ways that tore us apart, Yuwen Yue. Please tell me what's wrong."

Yuwen Yue finally succeeded in shifting her weight to a place that was more comfortable, and she let him. After all, she knew that if he really wanted to lift her out of the way, he could do so with little trouble. His hands, however, he put at his sides, leaving Chu Qiao feeling cold and bereft. He sat still and silent for so long that she'd come to accept that he might not say anything at all.

"I knew this happiness was too good to last, Xing'er," he murmured. "I recognize this pattern. All the signs are there. You'll heal. You'll leave. You'll spend who-knows-how-long trying to track this man down and kill him. Maybe you'll succeed; maybe you'll fail. Maybe I'll hear from one of my operatives months after the fact that you died trying to get your vengeance. Maybe you'll kill him and return months or even years later, ready to pick up where we left off as if nothing had happened. Or maybe you'll decide to go off on another adventure, and then another, and then another. Or maybe you'll meet and fall in love with a man who's easy-going and charming, someone without the complicated history that we share."

Chu Qiao was speechless, almost completely unable to comprehend the contents of her beloved's lengthy speech. While she was thankful that he'd finally told her what was troubling with him, she had no idea of how to convince him that he was wrong. Ultimately, she decided to trust her instincts again, turning around and placing one hand on each side of his face. He clearly knew how much pain that position caused her and tried to turn her around again, but she refused to let him move her. She opened her eyes to him as well as she could and hoped that he could see everything in them—including the tears that were now shimmering on their surfaces.

"Yuwen Yue," she somehow managed to force through her tightened throat, "I never meant to imply that I was going to leave right away to hunt down my mother's killer or that I was planning on being gone for months on end. Surely you can understand my need to gain vengeance on behalf of my mother."

He stiffened beneath her, and his face turned even harder than it had been before. The fury in his eyes terrified her, warning her that whatever she'd said could cause him to walk not just out of her bed but out of her life.

"So you know about that, too," he grated out. "I'm surprised you've kept that story to yourself all these years—that and the knowledge that Yuwen Zhuo is still alive."

With no warning, he jerked his head out of his hands and quickly turned her around so that her back was to his chest. Her wound immediately felt better, but her heart beat harder in fear—especially when his hands came back to rest at his sides.

"Know about what?" she finally asked, feeling like she was back out on the surface of the icy lake with the frozen sheets of ice cracking, crumbling, and shifting beneath her. "I was just speaking generally since the need to avenge loved ones is well-known and obvious. I don't know anything about your parents or what happened to them—and if I did, I wouldn't tell anyone."

Yuwen Yue stayed silent and unmoving. Chu Qiao badly wanted to turn herself around so that she could look into the eyes of the man she loved, but she knew that doing so might simply make matters worse.

"You don't have to tell me anything about your parents, Yuwen Yue," she said tearfully. "I'll just say a few things, and then you can leave me if you want to. First of all, I'm sorry that you thought I was going to immediately run off to hunt down my mother's murderer. I know that I need to avenge her death eventually, but I have no plans to do so at the moment. I am getting married soon, after all, and nothing matters more than that—nothing matters more than you, Yuwen Yue."

A small sob escaped from her throat, and she had to take a moment to gather herself. Her hands rested forlornly in her lap, and all that held her together were the facts that Yuwen Yue hadn't left her and had at least allowed her to stay on his lap.

"I need you and I love you, Yuwen Yue," she continued. "I've been willing to give my life to demonstrate that fact; you've done the same for me. I even yelled it for an entire battlefield to hear, and I haven't been subtle about showing my feelings for you since then. As for getting vengeance, I figured that I could tell Phoenix the details so she could tell the Underworld. And Xiao Ce knows, and...and...I was hoping that you would help me, too."

Chu Qiao finished that last part in a whisper and then sat and waited.

 _How many times will we end up on the knife's edge, he and I?_ _s_ he wondered. _How many times will we misunderstand each other, have to explain ourselves to one another, and hope that the other will understand and, if necessary, forgive?_

She felt Yuwen Yue shift beneath her and acknowledged the truth about their relationship.

 _Probably many more,_ she admitted to herself. _After all, we're both so stubborn._

His arms wrapped around her again and pulled her against himself, and she almost wept with relief. A few more tears leaked from her eyes and traced their way down her cheeks, meeting their inevitable end on the handkerchief that she'd hoped he'd use to dry them. After he'd wiped her tears away, he gently angled her in his arms so that she could look up into his eyes again. They were full of anguish and pain, but at least they were open to her again.

"You need to know what happened to my mother since you're marrying into my family, Xing'er," he said softly, tracing her jaw with one of his fingers.

"No, Yuwen Yue," Chu Qiao said. "You don't have to."

Just like he'd done in the cave, he cut her off—except this time, he did so by gently placing his thumb over her lips. She kissed it gently, her silence leaving the choice to confide or conceal completely up to him.

"Part of my family history is common knowledge; I'm honestly surprised that nobody told you. The official story was that my mother had an affair, went insane, and died. Nobody would tell me what truly happened for the longest time, but finally, I found someone who would at least tell me part of the story."

Yuwen Yue hesitated, and Chu Qiao placed a hand over the one that was now gently cupping her cheek. She ran her thumb over the back of his hand and waited, looking up at him with patient love in her eyes.

"Apparently, one night, Yuwen Xi..."

Chu Qiao's eyes widened and she sat up, ignoring the pain in order to place both hands on the sides of Yuwen Yue's face as tears spilled down her own. He placed his hands on her back, holding her in place as she looked into his eyes.

"I know what that bastard was capable of," she whispered. "You don't have to say any more. Oh, Yuwen Yue, I'm so sorry. That's why you worked so hard to teach me..."

She closed her eyes as images from their past flew through her mind. The harsh training methods, his reluctance to get close to her, and his efforts to teach her how to defend herself all made sense now. He'd wanted to stop the past from repeating itself by forming her into a woman who could take care of herself in any situation—and, perhaps, someday take her place at his side.

Chu Qiao opened her eyes and looked up into Yuwen Yue's, astonished at the amount of pain and vulnerability she saw there. Above all else, she treasured the openness evident in his gaze, understanding it for the staggering display of trust that it was. Fire ignited in her heart and spread to her eyes, causing his own to widen.

"Yuwen Yue, when I killed him, I blamed him for every woman he ever hurt, for every woman he ever murdered. When I killed him, I took vengeance for your mother, too, even if I didn't know I was doing so at the time. You won't have to worry about facing her in the afterlife because she'll know her son's wife avenged her sufferings on his behalf."

His gentle kiss was sad and poignant, conveying many emotions in spite of its simplicity. He pulled back slightly yet held her close, obviously not wanting to let her go.

"I will never leave you again," she vowed, caressing his cheeks with her thumbs.

Yuwen Yue kissed her one more time before gently lowering her back into her original position against his chest. She almost sighed with relief as her chest stopped hurting again and then did sigh with pleasure when his hands wound around her waist where they belonged. She felt herself growing drowsy again due to these latest physical and emotional demands, but she had one more thing she wanted to say to him before she fell asleep again.

"Thank you for telling me your secrets, Yuwen Yue," she murmured to the man she loved. "I know that's not your way, but I'll do my best to be worthy of that level of trust."

"You're the only one I've ever told my secrets to, X'er," he whispered, "and you're the only one I ever will tell."

Tears filled her eyes again as she placed her hands back on top of his and clasped them tightly. He lightly kissed her hair in response, and they rested in companionable silence as she felt sleep tugging at her once again. Just as her eyes were about to close, she identified a couple of sets of bootprints that made her eyes pop wide open.

Yuwen Yue's response was to pull the covers all the way up to her neck again, and she couldn't stop herself from smiling at the gesture. She looked up at him impishly as their guests strolled into the room through the door that had been opened for them.

* * *

Meng Feng could sense a recently-relaxed tension in the small room, but she mentally shrugged, knowing that her master and the woman he loved would likely always be involved in some form of conflict or other. They were both strong-willed, stubborn fighters, after all, and would surely remain so well into their lives together. Not that she anticipated serious problems for them going forward; she knew that both of them had been through too much to surrender the happiness they'd paid for so dearly.

Yuan Song was talking animatedly with Chu Qiao, and she was content to observe most of the conversation in silence, adding only a few words occasionally. While she'd genuinely wanted to see her master and his woman, the main reason she'd wanted to come up here was because she was bored.

 _And so that I could be relatively alone with Yuan Song,_ she admitted, smiling indulgently at her beloved as he laughed at something witty Chu Qiao said. _He needed to get away from the lower camp, too—especially after that conversation he had with his brother earlier._

Meng Feng's heart swelled all over again as she remembered listening to Yuan Song stand up to his brother on her behalf. Hearing him defend her so fiercely had quieted doubts about her beloved that she'd never realized she'd had. She did, after all, remember the helplessness of being obligated to serve a terrible master, and she was loathe to put herself in that position again through marriage—or something less socially-acceptable.

"What?" Yuan Song said loudly beside her, drawing her attention back to the conversation. "You'd actually told him this morning that you were getting married and he didn't tell me? All he would do was to hint about it even though he knew all along."

"He really didn't say anything?" Chu Qiao asked, grinning.

"Well, he did tell me a bit about how he found you this morning," Yuan Song replied with a suggestive grin of his own.

"I'm sorry that his account of our being discovered in bed together wasn't as detailed as you wanted it to be, Your Highness," Chu Qiao replied.

Her beloved smiled sheepishly, ducking his head in embarrassment.

"What he means is that we were all worried about you and wanted to make sure you were safe," Meng Feng said.

"Your concern is duly noted," Yuwen Yue said.

"Given how many people have come to visit us today, there must have been a lot of people who were worried," Chu Qiao said.

"There haven't really been all that many people who've come here, Xing'er."

"Maybe it only seemed like there were too many people who visited us today—present company excluded, of course," Chu Qiao said with the best fake sincerity Meng Feng had ever heard or seen.

"Of course, A'Chu," Yuan Song said with equally false dignity. "We would never expect you to lump us in with those other unwanted guests. We are, after all, very important people."

"So you told me the first time we met—at least in regards to yourself, anyway," Chu Qiao said.

"I don't think I've heard this story," Meng Feng said, knowing from the chagrined expression on her beloved's face that she very much wanted to do so.

"You mean he hasn't told you about how he disrupted my smell identification training because he thought I was playing hide and seek and he wanted to play, too?"

"A'Chu," Yuan Song whined.

To Meng Feng's delight, Chu Qiao ignored him.

"Did he mention how I threw him into a shallow pond because he made some assumptions about how easy I'd be to catch?"

"No, he didn't tell me about that."

"Surely he mentioned that I gave him false information about my identity and he believed me."

"He failed to mention that, too."

"Then he threatened to buy me and teach me the error of my ways."

Meng Feng turned her eyes on the man she loved and had to work hard to keep from laughing at his panicked expression.

"No, he definitely didn't tell me that part."

"Do I want to be buried in Wei or Yanbei?" Yuan Song asked the room at large.

"I tried to warn him that my master liked me very much and wouldn't let me go, but he didn't believe me."

"Something tells me that you didn't know how true that was, either."

Chu Qiao inclined her head and smiled sadly.

"No, I didn't. How did that go, anyway, Yuwen Yue? Did he really try to buy me from you that day?"

"He did, Xing'er. In fact, both he and Yan Xun—whom my Cangwu bird had pooped on earlier, by the way—visited me at the same time and tried to buy you. I defused the situation by telling them that I needed you to keep taking care of me because I was still blind—and besides, I couldn't sell you to either of them at the risk of offending the other."

Meng Feng goggled in astonishment and her master, and she wasn't the only one. Nobody seemed to know exactly how to respond to his awkward story, and he seemed completely unperturbed by everyone's reactions.

"I was only pretending to be blind, though."

"You were blinder than you want to admit," Chu Qiao muttered.

"What was that, Xing'er?"

"Nothing, Yuwen Yue," Chu Qiao said, eyes innocently twinkling. "The cold must be affecting your hearing."

"You were only pretending to be blind and I fell for it?" Yuan Song asked. "I think I'm the one who's blind."

Chu Qiao's face turned serious as she looked up at Yuwen Yue.

"I think we were all blind, and we should all be thankful that we can see now."

"I think you're right, A'Chu," Yuan Song said. "That's exactly how I feel: Like I can see clearly for the first time in my life."

"You told your brother something like that earlier, if I remember correctly."

"You heard _that much_ of our conversation?" he asked, practically squeaking the last part out.

"What conversation?" Chu Qiao asked.

"Nothing," Yuan Song said quickly.

"Are you really insinuating that telling your brother you were going to marry me whether he wanted you to or not is nothing?"

Now it was her turn to be gaped at; she, of course, maintained her serenity.

"You told me such an entertaining story, Chu Qiao, so telling you about my fiance's amazing defense of me earlier today seemed only fair."

"Fiance?!" Chu Qiao practically shrieked, finally regaining her voice. "Now who didn't tell us anything? You're getting married? Prince Xiang tried to talk Yuan Song out of it, but he defended you and you heard it?"

Chu Qiao bounced in place, earning an admonishing look from her own fiance.

"Sorry, Yuwen Yue," Chu Qiao said.

"Oh, feel free to keep bouncing on my lap, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said placidly. "It's good practice."

Chu Qiao blushed and spluttered.

"Someday in a fight, you might end up on top of someone, and you'll be glad you've developed those muscles."

"Yuwen Yue! You-!"

"What did you think I meant, Xing'er?"

Yuan Song was laughing behind his hand, and Meng Feng was exerting all of her control to keep from joining him. Chu Qiao was blushing badly, and Young Master Yue's eyes were filled with more joy than she'd ever seen in them. She was glad for both of them and hoped that they would be as happy as she knew that she and Yuan Song would be—if they were allowed to marry, of course.

"What's wrong, Meng Feng?" Chu Qiao asked, obviously noticing the rapid change in expression on her face.

"Nothing," she said quickly, earning nothing but a droll glance from both Chu Qiao and her master.

"As we've mentioned, my brother didn't exactly react to my announcement of our engagement with as much excitement as you did, A'Chu."

Chu Qiao scowled. "So another idiotic Wei royal is causing problems? Some things never change."

"Hey! That's my family you're talking about," Yuan Song said.

"I'm sorry, Yuan Song, but they're all idiots—present company excluded, of course."

 _I wonder if I could get Chu Qiao to teach me that faux-innocent look. Maybe I could teach her my serene expression in return…_

"You're right, A'Chu," he said, shoulders slumping in dejection. "They are all idiots."

"Well, Yuan Song, if it's any consolation, I think you're the best of them, and Prince Xiang probably isn't so bad once he manages to overcome his idiocy."

"I'm sure my brother would feel honored by your description of him."

"If he wanted a more complete description, he could feel free to visit me again and I'd give him one."

"Xing'er, please remember that you're supposed to be marrying me soon," Yuwen Yue said, looking down at her in affectionate exasperation. "I'd rather not have to smooth over a diplomatic incident with the royal family before such a happy occasion arrives."

"What makes you think I would cause a diplomatic incident, Yuwen Yue?" Chu Qiao asked him.

"Because you could probably cause a diplomatic incident just by walking around at a lantern festival, A'Chu," Yuan Song interjected.

"You know, Yuan Song, now that you mention it..." Chu Qiao said, trailing off as memories obviously assailed her.

Her master also seemed to be lost in memories that were both good and bad judging from the expression on his face.

"Okay, okay, okay, Yuwen Yue," Chu Qiao said. "I won't call Prince Xiang an idiot to his face."

"Or any other insults, Xing'er."

"Of course not, Yuwen Yue. I would never do such a thing."

He stared at her skeptically.

"I _will_ try to help you two if I can, though," Chu Qiao said, looking Yuan Song in the eye. "I trusted you to prove yourself to be the right man to lead Yanbei, and you validated that trust in ways I never could've expected. I won't forget what you've done—either of you."

"Aw, thanks, A'Chu," Yuan Song said bashfully. "I couldn't have done it without my right hand, though."

"Of course you could've, Yuan Song," Meng Feng objected. "You're strong and brave. All I did was-"

"All you did was save my life over and over again, get seriously wounded by one of the best enemy fighters on the field because he was going to kill me, and then keep on fighting anyway even though you were in agony. Then you gave Xia Chong treatment that probably saved her life. Then you were there to comfort me when I discovered Chun'er's body. And then you rode out with me so that I wouldn't have to face my brother alone and then deliberately fainted at just the right time to get him to call a truce with Yanbei."

Meng Feng could only stare at her beloved, unable to respond.

"I won't let anyone sell you short, Meng Feng—not even you."

The rest of the world faded out for a moment, and she instinctively grabbed his hand in hers. She quickly came back to her senses, though, and tried to pull away from Yuan Song, conscious of all of the eyes on them.

"It's okay, Meng Feng," Yuan Song said softly. "We don't have to pretend here."

"Considering that Xing'er and I are currently sitting in bed together and holding hands under the blankets while wearing nothing but our underrobes, we're hardly in any position to lecture you," Yuwen Yue noted dryly.

"Thank you, Master," Meng Feng managed to say as if she'd just completed a routine assignment for him.

"I think we can dispense with the titles now given your probable reassignment."

"I know I should've said something before now, Master..."

"Well, we _have_ all been quite preoccupied," Yuwen Yue noted. "I think I can excuse you this once."

"So will you be sending her on an undercover assignment?" Chu Qiao asked, eyes wide.

"Xing'er..."

"After all, she'll be protecting Yuan Song on your behalf and sending reports to you, but to everyone else, she'll simply be his wife."

Yuwen Yue looked down at Chu Qiao, mildly scowling.

"What did you think I meant, Yuwen Yue?"

"I think you should be thankful that I'm so good at carrying out undercover missions myself, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said, giving Chu Qiao an intense look.

Now it was Chu Qiao's turn to blush again.

"After all, if I weren't so good at my job, this plan would've failed spectacularly."

"Oh, yes, Yuwen Yue; getting caught in Yan Xun's palace and jumping off of the ramparts to escape was a brilliant maneuver."

"Of course it was, Xing'er. I knew you'd rescue me, and you did. And then we ended up in the cave and worked out our misunderstandings, which brought us here. Honestly, I think that's some of the best work I've ever done."

"Mm," Chu Qiao finally said, nodding. "I can't argue with that."

"I'm sure you could if you put your mind to it, Xing'er."

Meng Feng smiled as she listened to the couple continue to banter. Yuan Song was also grinning, obviously enjoying the show as well and looking much more relaxed than he'd been before they'd left the lower camp. She was glad that she'd convinced him to bring her up here in the wagon—and she was, of course, looking forward to him holding her in place as they went back down the mountain.

 _I'm sure the man I love will do a thorough job of making sure that I don't move around at all. He'll be there for me just like he has been ever since we met...won't he?_

She stood there holding his hand, thinking of those desolate years she'd spent in the Afterlife Camp, remembering how it felt to bow before her hooded master so he would give her another pill so she could exist for another period of time. She thought of meeting Yuwen Yue, somehow knowing that she could trust him from the start. He'd offered her another life—or at least a more honorable person to kill for—and she'd taken that offer without a second thought. Now she was holding another man's hand, having promised to become his wife and to remain his protector for the rest of her days.

 _Can I be absolutely certain that Yuan Song will never betray me? In one year, five years, ten years, might I end up in the same position that so many other women have had to endure?_

Her eyes met his again, and the love shining out of them gave her the closest thing to an answer she was ever going to get.

 _Of course I can't be certain. Who can—especially in such chaotic times? But I know I stand a better chance of happiness than most, and come what may, I know my life with Yuan Song will never be boring._

She smiled tranquilly at her beloved, acknowledging another fact.

 _Besides, if he ever does betray me, I can just poison him. I'm sure Chu Qiao would take my side if I told her the truth, and I could come back to Qing Shan Yuan—assuming, of course, that the other Yuans never found out._

Her morbid musings came to an end as she realized something else.

 _Yuan Song knows what I'm capable of, but he's trusting me to never turn my abilities on him. He understands I could kill him easily, yet he believes—he knows—that I would rather die than harm him. He's taking a chance on me, too._

"So how did you guys get up here anyway?" Chu Qiao asked them, putting an end to Meng Feng's thoughts.

"We rode on the patient wagon," Meng Feng replied.

"The patient wagon? What's that?" Chu Qiao asked.

"Several times a day, someone drives a wagon up the mountain, collects whatever patients have been discharged from the infirmary at that point, and takes them down to the lower camp," she explained.

"He Xiao escorted Xia Chong down on the one that we rode in up here," Yuan Song said. "He seemed to be doing an excellent job of making sure that she didn't move around too much."

"So you ride down through the main pass on this wagon and you can stay in the lower camp below?" Chu Qiao said with a speculative tone in her voice.

"Xing'er..."

Yuan Song got a maniacal gleam in his eyes as his inability to keep out of mischief got the better of him.

"Exactly," he said. "You get settled into the wagon, then a driver takes you slowly down the mountain through the main pass. The ride can be really bumpy, which is why anyone who is severely injured should have a person nearby to keep them from getting jostled."

"I take it you volunteered for that job with Meng Feng," Chu Qiao said.

"Of course," Yuan Song responded.

"He did a very good job," Meng Feng said with a straight face. "Given my position at the time, I hardly moved at all."

Chu Qiao turned her large, bright eyes on Yuwen Yue with full force, making both Meng Feng and Yuan Song wince in sympathy.

"No, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said. "You're not ready to be moved yet. In all likelihood, you won't be ready for a few more days."

She continued to look at Yuwen Yue, sincere pleading entering her gaze.

"It's so cold here, Yuwen Yue," she murmured. "Without you here, I get so cold, and I hurt so bad...Besides, wouldn't you rather know I was nearby than way up here in case something happened? Xia Chong was injured badly, too, but she made it down just fine. Surely you could do at least as good of a job of holding me in place as He Xiao did, couldn't you?"

Yuwen Yue stared at Chu Qiao for a few long moments.

"I'll have Mister Wu and Phoenix evaluate you," he said. "If they say you're well enough, I'll escort you down myself."

"Thank you, Yuwen Yue," Chu Qiao said, her eyes showing genuine relief and love.

"Don't thank me yet, Xing'er," he warned. "If they say you're not ready to go, you're not going."

"I think we'd better be going ourselves," Meng Feng said. "After all, Yuan Song promised he'd walk around with me a bit while we're up here. Exercise is good for keeping up your strength, after all."

"Indeed it is, Meng Feng," Chu Qiao said. "But make sure that you stay warm; being cold can slow down your recovery."

"Thanks for your concern, Chu Qiao, but I'm not worried about being cold," she said, squeezing Yuan Song's hand. He grinned at her and pulled her closer.

"Me neither," Chu Qiao said, smiling impishly.

Meng Feng shook her head and reluctantly let go of Yuan Song's hand. He seemed just as disappointed but appeared to be as reluctant to cause a scandal as she was.

"You should probably lean on Yuan Song's arm, Meng Feng," Chu Qiao said to their retreating backs. "After all, there's ice everywhere, and we wouldn't want a tragic accident to occur."

"Thank you for looking out for my well-being, Chu Qiao," she said. "I think that's an excellent idea."

They walked out the door, Yuan Song making sure to keep an eye out for any slick areas. She knew that she had nothing to fear and that she could trust this man with her life—and her heart.

 _But still…_

"Yuan Song," she said softly as they passed out of view of the upper camp and she took his hand again.

"Yes?"

"If you ever even think of marrying another woman, I'll poison you with something so subtle you won't even notice it until it's killed you in an incredibly painful way."

Meng Feng smiled serenely at the man she loved as he started stuttering protestations and assurances at her, thinking that the future looked very bright, indeed.

* * *

"So how are we going to convince Prince Xiang to let them get married?" Chu Qiao asked almost as soon as Yuan Song and Meng Feng were out of earshot.

"Do I look like a matchmaker to you?" Yuwen Yue asked.

"Well, I suppose you could if I helped you with the makeup," Chu Qiao said. "I don't think you'd make a pretty woman, though, Yuwen Yue."

"Not as pretty as Xiao Ce would," he agreed.

"You sound a bit jealous of Xiao Ce, Yuwen Yue."

"Why would I be jealous of him? What does he have that I don't, Xing'er?"

"Knowledge of beauty products, for one."

"Mm. I see. Okay, Xing'er. Once we're married, I'll allow to teach me all about beauty products."

"What would you give me in return for these lessons, Yuwen Yue? After all, I don't teach people for free."

As she'd hoped, he gave her that intense look she loved so much, and she allowed herself to get lost in it for a few moments.

"I think we could come to a satisfactory arrangement," she said, smiling. "You still didn't answer my question about Yuan Song and Meng Feng, though."

"That's because I don't know the answer yet, Xing'er. Prince Xiang has always been protective of his little brother, and the recent loss of so many family members has probably not lessened that protectiveness. He'll want to make sure that his brother marries an honorable, trustworthy woman, and he doesn't know Meng Feng well enough to make that decision yet."

Chu Qiao snorted in derision.

"Oh, yes; I'm sure that 'trustworthiness' will be at the top of of His Highness's list of character traits that he'd consider for a wife for Yuan Song. Something tells me that he would judge a woman's 'trustworthiness' by the size of her fortune and the level of her connections-or maybe the attractiveness of her face or figure."

"You sell him short, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue admonished her. She pouted in response.

"Okay, so I don't know him as well as you do," she admitted. "To be fair, I don't really know Meng Feng all that well and would probably not help Yuan Song's case were I to tell His Highness about my previous experiences with her."

"You mean that you don't think that Prince Xiang would appreciate her for shooting you with that poison dart, Xing'er?"

"Actually, he might, now that you mention it, Yuwen Yue. If I tell him that she once tried to kill me, do you think that would make him like her better?"

"Xing'er..."

"Maybe I could tell him about the fight over the wheat, too. 'I tried to kill her, but she escaped from me, Your Highness.' Do you think that would help?"

Yuwen Yue simply gave her that same exasperated look he'd been leveling at her since she was his bedchamber maid at Qing Shan Yuan.

"No? Maybe I could point out that if she hadn't have shot me with that dart, then we wouldn't have spent all that time together, and we probably wouldn't be where we are today."

"You clearly don't need my help to convince Prince Xiang, Xing'er. You obviously have everything under control."

She pretended to scowl up at him, but she found maintaining her frown impossible when he cupped her cheek in his hand.

"I'll have to evaluate the situation myself, Xing'er—preferably when I'm not in bed with my fiance on my lap. I'll have to talk to Xiang and figure out the precise nature of his objections and if they have any merit."

"What?"

"His objections might have some merit, Xing'er. I don't know yet. Maybe he knows something I don't know."

Chu Qiao was torn between insulting Yuwen Yue's intelligence and doing the same to Prince Xiang, so she held her peace, letting her silence speak volumes instead.

"His ideas are not outside of the norm, Xing'er. Most men believe as he does, and history is littered with numerous disastrous unions that destroyed families—and even nations."

"I'm sure that's the real problem with our society, Yuwen Yue—marriages between two people of unequal social status. Surely the corruption, politicking, and petty personal vendettas are not to blame at all."

"I'll do what I can, Xing'er, but for some reason, I doubt that Xiang would listen to anything I have to say on the topic," he said, staring down at her pointedly.

Chu Qiao sighed and looked down.

"I know that marrying me isn't going to earn you any praise from your peers, Yuwen Yue."

"Yes, I am definitely to be pitied," he said pensively. "You'll have to find some way to make it up to me, Xing'er."

"Well, I've already promised to teach you about beauty products; what more could you want?"

She couldn't resist looking up again and meeting her beloved's intense gaze again.

"I'm thirsty," she said, saying the first thing that came to her mind after getting lost in Yuwen Yue's eyes.

"Probably from all that talking, Xing'er."

She scowled up at him and pushed herself up higher on his lap, reaching out for the dish that was set out on the table. Yuwen Yue gently stopped her and poured some water in the dish, bringing it to her. She tried to take the dish from him so she could drink, but he wouldn't hand it over to her.

"You're too tired, Xing'er," he said. "You've been getting more and more sleepy, and holding this yourself would probably hurt your chest now."

"I'm not some decrepit old woman," she muttered. "I'm perfectly capable of holding my own bowl, Yuwen Yue."

"Let me hold the bowl for you, Xing'er. You can easily drink from it, and then I can put it back on the table for you."

"You don't have to be quite so protective of me, you know."

"Who says I'm being protective of you, Xing'er? If you drop this bowl, then water will go all over me. Then where would I be?"

"I'm sure Phoenix would have something to say when she came to evaluate me and tell you that I'm well enough to get off this mountain."

"Xing'er..."

"You promised, Yuwen Yue."

"I promised I'd have them evaluate you, Xing'er. I didn't say when."

"Yuwen Yue! You-"

"You need to rest more, Xing'er. You're barely keeping your eyes open now; how will you make it down the mountain?"

"If you hold me tightly enough..."

"You need at least one more night of rest, Xing'er."

"And how am I going to get it in this cold, uncomfortable place? I'm assuming that even you couldn't get away with staying in my bed for another night."

"I don't know, Xing'er; I'm pretty weak and tired myself. Climbing up that mountain was quite exhausting, after all."

"Don't tease me like that, Yuwen Yue. We both know you're going to get out of this bed soon, put on your black robe, and sneak back down the mountain."

"Can we at least agree that drinking this water will help you recover?"

"Of course, Yuwen Yue; I've been trying to do so for how long now? _Someone_ won't give me the water."

"I'll make a deal with you, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said, his eyes suddenly turning hooded. "I'll let you hold the water yourself as you drink it—if you'll let me apply Xiao Ce's lip balm for you afterward."

Chu Qiao sucked in a shocked breath, her eyes widening as she looked up at the man she loved. A denial instinctively readied itself on her tongue before she realized that she no longer had to utter it if she didn't want to.

 _We love each other,_ she reminded herself. _We're getting married. I don't have to pretend that I'm not attracted to him anymore. I don't have to pretend that I don't want_ this _—want_ him.

She nodded slowly, and he handed the bowl to her. Chu Qiao drained it dry and sighed in relief as the water soothed her throat. Her beloved took the bowl away and placed it on the table, grasping the small tub of lip balm and bringing it to them.

Before he could open the tub, a couple of Xiuli soldiers bustled through the door, seemingly oblivious to the heavy tension filling up the room. They laid out not just one but two bowls of soup, plus some broth, some beef and rice, and some bread.

"We wanted to make sure that you had enough to eat, Chu Da Ren, Young Master Yue," they said. "Healing is hungry work, after all."

"Thank you," Chu Qiao said breathlessly, making them look at her strangely. "I'm so hungry that I'm practically fainting."

They smiled in understanding, seeming to have accepted her explanation for her strange behavior. Bowing, they left, leaving steaming, appetizing food in their wake. Chu Qiao felt decidedly less enthusiastic about the food than she had before she'd requested it, and she could tell that Yuwen Yue wasn't particularly excited, either. He replaced the balm on the table, however, and dutifully pulled the soup bowl and spoon before them.

"You said I could hold my own bowl," Chu Qiao said, reaching for it.

"I said you could hold your own _water_ bowl," he corrected her. "This is much heavier, and you have to use a spoon to eat it. Let me help you, Xing'er."

She opened her mouth to argue, but then, just as she'd done in regards to the balm, she came to her senses. Images of her first morning as his bedchamber maid popped into her mind, and she remembered sitting in a position that was not so different from this one.

 _My position might not be so different, but my feelings definitely are,_ she admitted.

"Mm," she said softly, looking up at him.

He dipped the spoon into the bowl and raised it to her lips, gently tipping the contents into her mouth. At first, her stomach rebelled at the invasion of solid food, but another spoonful helped to quiet its protests. Chu Qiao knew that she needed the nourishment after going so long without food, and she immediately began to feel better due to getting something on her stomach.

 _Okay, so I probably also feel better thanks to the fact that Yuwen Yue's feeding me,_ she acknowledged.

She looked up at him between spoonfuls of soup and thanked him with her eyes, his own full of that same potency that he'd displayed that morning in front of Jin Zhu. Unlike that day, however, she reveled in the intensity and enjoyed it as much as he did.

The bowl was emptied in what seemed like no time, and Yuwen Yue managed to convince her to drain the broth bowl as well. Under most other circumstances, she knew she would've felt drowsy, but the corners her eyes kept flitting back to that small tub of balm sitting innocuously on the table.

"Aren't you going to eat your own food, Yuwen Yue?" she asked him.

He gave her one of his looks, managing to convey his scorn for the idea wordlessly.

"That's not what I'm hungry for, X'er," she murmured, reaching once again for the balm.

"Is this like your conversation with Xiao Ce about the cups?" Chu Qiao asked breathlessly.

"I don't want to talk about Xiao Ce, X'er."

"Oh," was all she could manage.

Slowly, he removed the top from the tub and went to rub his finger over the top of it. Chu Qiao was struck with one of her quick inspirations, and she reached out a hand to stop him from doing so.

"Are you sure you want to do that now, Yuwen Yue?" she asked innocently. "If you put that balm on my lips now, you won't be able to kiss me anymore since doing so would take away the balm."

His eyes darkened, and he deliberately replaced the lid on the balm and placed it back on the table once again. He repositioned her in his arms and raised her up, kissing her soundly when she was close enough. Chu Qiao congratulated herself on her perfectly-executed plan, knowing that she was going to get both a thorough kissing from her beloved and an application of lip balm—all after being fed a delicious meal by him.

Yuwen Yue pulled away but maintained eye contact, his gaze never lightening from its dark intensity. He shifted his grip on her and reached out again for the lip balm, grabbing it by feel and pulling it back into bed with them. He removed the top one-handed and slowly ran his finger across the slick surface of the balm. Setting the tub back on the table, he placed his finger on her mouth and traced her lips with it, leaving a trail of balm behind.

Between the look in his eyes and the feelings pulsing through her, Chu Qiao wouldn't have been surprised to burst into flame. He ran his finger over her lips again and again, obviously wanting to make sure that the balm had soaked into her the surface of her lips. Eventually, he lowered his hand back to her back and drew her close again, lowering his face towards hers.

"Yuwen Yue," she breathed out. "You can't kiss me again or you'll rub away all the balm."

"No, X'er," he rasped, "Y _ou_ can't kiss _me_. _I_ , however, can still kiss _you_ —just not on the mouth."

"What-?"

Her feeble protest was cut off as he pressed his lips to the underside of her jaw and repeated the motion several times along her jawline. He languidly kissed her all the way down her throat, his mouth finally coming to rest at the juncture of her neck and shoulder. As he kissed her pulse point, she threw her head back, silently begging him for more.

Yuwen Yue leaned in again as if he were going to press a kiss beneath her earlobe, but instead, he whispered, "I'm sorry, X'er, but I feel another nap coming on. I must be faint from hunger after all."

Without further warning, he shifted her back around to her original position and slumped against her, his head once again tucking neatly between her shoulder and neck. She sputtered in bewildered outrage, the warring thoughts and feelings rendering her almost completely incoherent.

"Yuwen Yue! You-! What-?!"

He gave no sign that he'd heard her even though she knew he was faking.

"You're not asleep, Yuwen Yue! How could you-? Wake up!"

Silence.

"You're not fooling me at all, you know. I'm going to get you back for this eventually."

Silence.

"Maybe this will teach you to not try to torment me, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue finally mumbled without opening his eyes. "You'll never win, you know. Besides, I owed you for that 'thank you with my mouth' tease. You see, Xing'er, I can thank you with _my_ mouth, too."

He lapsed into silence again, leaving a fuming and frustrated Chu Qiao sitting in his lap. She knew that she had no way of getting him back...except...A crafty look formed on her face, but she erased it and concentrated on making a sappy, sentimental smile that would hopefully shape the words that would soon come out of her mouth.

"Don't worry, Yuwen Yue," she whispered softly. "I have the rest of my life to get you back."

Her beloved gave no sign that he'd heard her, and she frowned again. She was getting sleepy, though, the warmth caused by the man she loved and the fullness of her stomach lulling her to unconsciousness. Just as she'd almost given up hope, Yuwen Yue's arms tightened around her and his lips quirked into a faint smile. Chu Qiao took her small victory and closed her eyes, not remembering that Yuwen Yue had forgotten to have her doctors evaluate her until she woke up the next morning alone—except for the presence of several empty bowls and the tub of lip balm, which had been placed within easy reach.

* * *

AN: There will be a two-week time-skip next week, and we'll catch up with our people at the lower camp. Two weeks: Xiang showdown/fallout. Three weeks: Wrapping up final loose ends. Four weeks: Wedding night double-shot epilogue. Five weeks. Break. Glorious break. (Actually now would probably be a good time to issue the caveat that if my grandfather passes away in the next four weeks, the end of the story might get delayed a bit. Hospice has been called in and he's fading a bit each day, but he's an incredibly tough man [he is 101, after all], so who knows? I won't, of course, abandon the story, and I won't say that I won't still manage to post on time anyway since writing can be a great escape, but I just wanted to give y'all a heads-up for if I disappear for a week or two without updating.)

Musical selection: What did I decide on this week? Do I really remember? Oh, yeah; I think I'd decided on "Fighting for You" by Us the Duo. It fits Meng Feng especially well, but can easily apply to the others as well.

Translation/Fanfiction update: Angel Chua has added a few chapters to her fanfic, "Secret Princess" at princessagents dot wordpress dot com. I'm not sure which ones, and I'm way too lazy right now to look it up. I blame the turkey. You'd better just read them all to make sure, though.


	16. Chapter 16

AN: Well, that was fun. Sorry I didn't update last week, but I've spent the past week and a half or so dealing with the flu and its aftermath (which has been so much fun considering how poorly my sinuses drain in general). I'm sorry if some of this is rough, but I had a hard time getting back into the groove of writing after being mentally incapable of doing so for a week. (No, last week doesn't count as a break as it wasn't remotely restful. I seriously went 40 straight hours without sleep because my nose was so clogged.) Those who are just here for the XingYue will probably need to read the opening section in order to know what's going on but can then skip to the final segment for some winter wonderland XingYue good times. (Hey, it's the Christmas season, so what can I say?)

* * *

"Very sloppy, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue admonished as his beloved's arrow once again narrowly missed the center of the target wide-right. "Don't ever tell anyone I'm your teacher."

"I'm sorry, Yuwen Yue," Xing'er said with false sincerity. "I guess you'll just have to show me the proper technique again."

He scowled at her outwardly but inwardly delighted in the contact as he pulled her in close and grasped her forearms from behind, twirling her around in the elaborate archery training technique he'd shown her so long ago. Not that the technique had any value whatsoever; nobody actually shot a crossbow like that, after all. He'd invented the method years ago as an excuse to get closer to Xing'er, but the technique had worked, so who was he to argue with success?

Xing'er rewarded his lesson with a bull's-eye, and she smiled up at him innocently.

"I guess you'll have to reteach me that technique whenever I miss."

"As often as you miss, Xing'er, I'll be demonstrating that method for you frequently, then."

"Would that be a problem for you?"

He gave her one of his intense stares, but her impish grin didn't falter.

"I'm sorry, Yuwen Yue, but I'm still a bit sore and weak from that arrow wound. Only two weeks have passed, after all—and _someone_ wouldn't let me start drilling again until the end of the first week."

"I had to make sure you'd regained enough strength to be ready, Xing'er."

"Then why are you complaining about my lack of progress when I've only had a week?"

"Because this should be second nature to you by now."

Xing'er pursed her lips, pulled the trigger, and turned her face up at him when her arrow once again missed to the right.

"Sorry, Yuwen Yue," she said, her eyes shining with mirth and anticipation. "You'd probably better walk me through the aiming and firing process again."

"Not that it will do any good," Yuwen Yue muttered, taking her in his arms again and slowly bringing her and the crossbow around into proper position.

He held onto her well after she'd fired the shot, which embedded itself in the center of the target once again. Xing'er turned her face slightly into his, and the look in her eyes almost made him forget that there were other people around. Before he could do anything rash, however, footsteps sounded from behind them.

They both hastily stood up and greeted Yuan Song and Meng Feng, who had obviously also desired some relative privacy at the practice field on the edge of camp.

"That's an...interesting archery instruction technique you were just demonstrating, Yuwen Yue," the prince said, grinning. "I don't recall Meng Feng doing anything similar while she was teaching me how to use a crossbow."

"That's because this is a secret technique handed down from generation to generation of the Yuwen family," Yuwen Yue said.

"Really?" Yuan Song asked. "It does look quite...effective. Does it really help you, A'Chu?"

"Oh, yes, Yuan Song," Xing'er said, beaming at the prince. "First of all, Yuwen Yue's technique involves lots of stretching, which is good for my muscles. I also have to keep the crossbow balanced at all times during the exercise, which means that I'm comfortable using it in different positions in battle."

"And when he holds you closely after firing—what does that accomplish, A'Chu?"

"That's just his way of being able to see any mistakes I make during the firing process," Xing'er explained without missing a beat. "And since his mouth's already so close to my ear, he can easily tell me my failings directly. It's a very useful technique, Yuan Song. You should try it sometime."

"Mm," he grunted, eyeing Meng Feng speculatively.

Unfortunately for him, the woman he loved had already gone over to another area of the field and drawn her sword. She appeared to be unaware of the interplay going on near the archery targets, focusing instead on regaining her own strength and speed.

"I'm sure that Yuwen Yue would be glad to walk you through this technique if you wanted him to, Yuan Song," Xing'er said, her large eyes twinkling mischievously.

Yuwen Yue scowled down at her, but she was unrepentant. Yuan Song stuttered out a few words of disagreement, saying that he felt that he'd be able to do just fine without learning this new technique after all. His next shot missed badly, however, belying the prince's words of assurance.

 _Of course, Xing'er's generous offer of_ _my_ _assistance likely didn't steady his hand, either._

The woman he loved was laughing at Yuan Song, and he readied himself to scold her for her teasing once she looked up at him. The good humor and happiness in her eyes, however, took his breath away, and any thoughts of saying anything negative to her evaporated as their gazes connected. He took her in his arms again, waiting a few beats before positioning her for archery training.

She rewarded him with a perfect shot for his efforts, and he blithely acknowledged that this was a far more enjoyable means of passing the time than trying to solve any of the numerous political problems on his plate. Yuwen Yue assumed that Xing'er felt the same way, especially given her position as one of the leaders of the rebellion within the rebellion. They had both been in high demand, especially once Xing'er had recovered enough to meet with people.

 _Frankly, I liked our previous meeting method better,_ Yuwen Yue mused, remembering those impromptu discussions he'd had with Xiang, Xiao Ce, and the others while Xing'er had sat on his lap and added her own perspective.

 _Not that we were irresponsible enough to pull something like that once she made it to the base of the mountain…_

No, all of their time together since then had had to be captured in stolen moments like these under the guise of training or discussion. He knew that soon enough, he'd marry his beloved and such pretenses would be relegated to the past.

 _Or maybe they won't,_ he acknowledged _. After all, I can imagine some future occasions when we both might need to "look at something in the Eyes of God chamber" or "go check our supply of lip balm."_

Yuan Song's arrow missed wide left again, making the prince grimace comically. Yuwen Yue knew full well that Yuan Song was capable of doing better, but he figured that the prince was trying to attract Meng Feng over to the archery area so she could "help" him the same way that Yuwen Yue had been "helping" Xing'er. The warrior seemed completely oblivious, however, as if she were fully absorbed in her own world.

 _Which is, of course, exactly what she'd want people to think,_ Yuwen Yue thought as the prince's arrow missed again. _If anyone approached Yuan Song, she'd be able to intercept him before he got halfway there. Nothing gets by her if the prince is involved._

As if she'd heard him thinking about her, Meng Feng sheathed her sword with an expression of frustration and made her way over to the archery area. She scolded Yuan Song while correcting his stance and giving him pointers—all while making hardly any body contact. The prince seemed crestfallen, and Xing'er was obviously struggling to hide her amusement. Yuan Song missed again, causing Meng Feng to place her hands on her hips and stare at the man she loved.

"Maybe you should use Yuwen Yue's archery training technique instead, Meng Feng," Xing'er said. "Yuan Song seemed quite interested in it a few minutes ago. I offered to have Yuwen Yue demonstrate it, but Yuan Song didn't want him to for some reason."

Yuwen Yue kept his face impassive through years of training, walking Xing'er carefully through the technique again for Meng Feng's less-than-impressed gaze. She looked at them skeptically before turning the same expression on Yuan Song.

"A'Chu seems to find the exercise helpful for her accuracy," Yuan Song said hopefully.

"Her accuracy," Meng Feng said flatly.

"Right, right, right!" Yuan Song agreed. "Her accuracy!"

Meng Feng sighed, stood behind Yuan Song, and carefully reproduced the steps that Yuwen Yue had shown her. Yuan Song rewarded his beloved with a bull's-eye and a roguish grin, and she shook her head in exasperation.

"I guess you'll have to use that training technique from now on, Meng Feng," Yuan Song said.

"So it would seem," she said. "The results speak for themselves."

"I think so," Yuan Song said, grinning as she walked him through the steps again from behind.

"There is something to be said for this teaching method after all," Meng Feng admitted as she held onto Yuan Song longer than necessary.

"Maybe Yuwen Yue has even more such techniques that he'd be willing to share with us," Yuan Song said.

"He's known as the best for a reason, after all," Xing'er said contentedly from Yuwen Yue's arms.

"And what is that?"

"Because he knows how to make the most of every opportunity," Xing'er said as her arrow hit the center of the target once again.

Meng Feng leaned in close to Yuan Song as she whispered instructions, resulting in him shooting the middle of Xing'er's target. He looked sheepishly down into her eyes, and Yuwen Yue could tell that she was no more capable of being genuinely irritated at him at this point than he was with Xing'er.

 _Actually, I'll probably always be able to be irritated at Xing'er,_ he admitted. _But then she'll give me that look and I'll somehow end up holding onto her tighter and doing what she wants me to do anyway_.

"I think we should probably stop for the day before anyone gets hurt," Yuwen Yue said.

"That seems like a good idea," Meng Feng agreed, shaking her head at her blushing fiance. "I think His Highness's concentration is low at the moment."

"That's just as well since I need to talk to him anyway," Yuwen Yue said.

They gathered their belongings and made their way from the practice yard, trading greetings with the few soldiers they passed in the process. Yuwen Yue actually did need to talk to Yuan Song about some details relating to the transition of power, but he also wanted Xing'er to have a chance to talk to Meng Feng. The woman he loved had been quiet lately, and he felt that she might need to talk to another woman—especially one who could relate to her as well as he knew the ex-assassin could.

* * *

Chu Qiao tucked her small crossbow back into her robes, loathe to return to her tent or to seek out any more problems to solve for Yanbei, Wei, or the Xiulis. Meng Feng seemed to feel the same way and didn't object to standing off to the side as Chu Qiao talked for a few moments with He Xiao and Xia Chong, both of whom had also obviously decided to take advantage of the more remote location of the practice fields.

Upon further scrutiny, Chu Qiao noticed that Xia Chong was carrying Dragon Bird, which made sense given the scope of her injuries. He Xiao seemed afraid that Chu Qiao would be upset at his having given the blade away, but Chu Qiao assured him that she didn't mind and that the blade suited Xia Chong.

"In fact," she said, smiling impishly, "you should probably make sure that Xia Chong knows how to use the blade properly since she's not used to handling it."

Xia Chong's eyebrows raised sharply, and He Xiao stammered out that she was surely proficient with such weaponry.

"Oh, no doubt," Chu Qiao agreed. "However, one thing I've learned is that you can never be too careful. In fact, Yuwen Yue insisted on using his special archery teaching method on me just to make sure that I'm capable of hitting the center of the target every time."

"Is his archery teaching method really different from yours, Chu Da Ren?"

"It definitely is," Meng Feng said wryly. "It's a very...physical technique. I was skeptical of it myself, but after employing it on His Highness and seeing such definite improvement, I recommend this style of teaching as well."

"Ah..."

"What you need to do is stand closely behind Xia Chong to make sure that she knows exactly what she's supposed to be doing," Chu Qiao said innocently to her embarrassed commander. "Then you should grasp her forearms so that you can walk her through the steps of wielding Dragon Bird. You should also keep your head close to hers so that you can whisper instructions and critiques directly into her ear."

"Um...that sounds..."

"Promising," Xia Chong said, nodding. "And you say that Young Master Yue developed this technique?"

"Yes," Chu Qiao confirmed. "He's been using it on me for years."

"Well, then, that sounds like something we could use to our benefit, He Xiao," Xia Chong said matter-of-factly. "Besides, nobody could object to you teaching me a technique developed by Young Master Yue himself."

"That does sound like a good use of our time," He Xiao finally managed to say.

"I'm sure you'll uphold the honor of the Xiulis well, He Xiao," Chu Qiao said, smiling serenely in the face of her commander's unease.

He Xiao stammered his goodbyes and walked away with Xia Chong, who seemed unperturbed by the exchange. In fact, the woman looked like she was looking forward to the upcoming lesson. While part of Chu Qiao was amused at how quickly the relationship between the two warriors had progressed, the rest of her knew that she had no room to question anyone else's romantic methods given her own history.

"Thank you for helping me with He Xiao," Chu Qiao told Meng Feng as they left the practice area behind.

"I merely felt that both of them would benefit from such training."

"Of course," Chu Qiao said. "After all, you and I feel better already, don't we?"

"Definitely," Meng Feng said. "His Highness didn't seem to object, either."

"Neither did Yuwen Yue, for all of his protesting otherwise."

"I think we were all exactly where we wanted to be."

"What an odd sensation."

"Odd, but something I could definitely get used to."

"Me, too."

Chu Qiao didn't generally like small talk, but for some reason, she found Meng Feng's presence somewhat soothing. She knew she shouldn't for a variety of reasons, but she couldn't help but relax around the other woman. Unlike herself, however, Meng Feng seemed to be acquiring tension rather than releasing it.

 _Maybe she's worried about the future,_ she reflected. _Or maybe…_

"This is where I killed him," Meng Feng said quietly into the silence.

Chu Qiao immediately knew who she meant.

"He was a good man," Chu Qiao said.

"I got that impression. Did you…?"

"Miss Yu made sure that he was buried by his beloved," Chu Qiao affirmed.

"Good," Meng Feng whispered. "I'm sorry."

"Me, too," Chu Qiao said. "But that's war. We all do what we have to do, and we all have to live with our choices."

Meng Feng nodded solemnly.

"Maybe I could've saved him," Chu Qiao continued. "Or maybe he would've betrayed us to Yan Xun, we'd be dead, and Yanbei would be a smoking ruin. As I said, we all have to live with our choices."

As if by mutual agreement, they resumed their walk around the perimeter of the camp. They attracted a bit of attention, but nobody did more than greet them politely as if sensing that they wanted their privacy.

"Sometimes our choices aren't ours alone to make," Meng Feng said. "Sometimes fate and the heavens can shape our lives against our will."

"True," Chu Qiao admitted. "After all, how did I get here? I fell off a cliff into the river, got picked up by slavers, was sold to Yuwen Huai, and ended up at Qing Shan Yuan because the robe I'd put on before the hunt had Yuwen Yue's name on it. And yet, I chose this path. I made a conscious decision to stop trying to save Yan Xun from himself and to start trying to save Yanbei and the common people from Yan Xun—and a lot of people got killed anyway."

"A lot of people were going to get killed anyway," Meng Feng said. "At least the way we did things, most of the dead were soldiers rather than civilians."

"Are we better off now than we would've been had I done nothing?"

"How do you think Young Master Yue would answer?"

Chu Qiao gave Meng Feng the smallest of smiles in reply.

"No matter what else would've been different, I can't regret that part of it," Chu Qiao acknowledged. "Had I stayed with Yan Xun..."

She trailed off, shuddering as visions of a future that would thankfully never come to pass assaulted her. However things would've progressed, she doubted that she would've found herself in a position where she would've been able to act on her feelings for the man she loved so dearly.

"I rarely indulge in this level of introspection," Chu Qiao finally said. "I've never seen a use for it, honestly."

"You can't use it to change the future or the past," Meng Feng said.

"Right. All you can do is cause yourself pain by making speculations that you can never prove anyway. And yet..."

"Sometimes you have to reflect on the past so that you can learn lessons for the future."

"Mm," Chu Qiao grunted.

"And sometimes you can only sort out your motives once you've gained some distance from what happened."

Chu Qiao sighed.

"I know that many people wondered why I stayed with Yan Xun as long as I did," she finally said. "They couldn't imagine a reason beyond love, so that's what they chose to believe. They couldn't conceive of a woman staying by a man's side due to ideas like honor, commitment, and loyalty, so they made up the reason that was most comfortable for them."

"You were never in love with him."

"No," Chu Qiao said. "I had no idea what being in love meant at the time, but now..."

Meng Feng nodded in understanding.

"Now I know that love never had anything to do with anything—at least not on my part. I don't regret helping Yan Xun escape from Chang'an. Nobody should be forced to kneel and await death—especially at the hands of an evil person or regime. And yet..."

Chu Qiao trailed off, having a hard time gathering her thoughts. Meng Feng elected to stay silent this time, clearly offering Chu Qiao the opportunity to figure this problem out for herself.

"Any time part of me would condemn something Yan Xun did, another part would remind me of the terrible pain that he'd suffered on Jiuyou Platform, in the jail, in the Oriole Courtyard...I could always find some sort of excuse for his actions because I'd mentally see him throwing back his head and screaming at the heavens or cutting off his little finger for me. He had, after all, suffered an incomprehensible pain that neither I nor anyone else could understand, so I had no right to even try to understand."

Meng Feng smiled softly, her open face encouraging Chu Qiao to reach the right conclusion.

"His pain became almost mythical or legendary to me," she continued, "almost as if it had come down directly from the heavens themselves. No matter what he did, no matter who he killed, I attributed everything to this terrible pain that was always...crying out for expression. Nobody could understand this pain, so nobody had a right to judge. But then we fought this war, and I look around me..."

Chu Qiao trailed off again, her troubled thoughts showing on her face.

"You've come to realize that Yan Xun's pain, while terrible, was not as alien or incomprehensible as you thought."

"Right," Chu Qiao said, nodding. "My own mother died horribly and I was framed for her murder. I never knew my father. My adoptive parents were slaughtered and their children sold into slavery. My adoptive brother was poisoned to death and ultimately killed right in front of me by the man I would come to love. My oldest adoptive sister was brutalized and murdered by an evil man. The only family I have left are two adoptive sisters whom I keep at arms length for their own safety. And yet I've never wanted to kill the innocent."

"Many of the people around us have lost much but have still retained their integrity," Meng Feng said.

"He Xiao's wife was murdered by one of his own people. His father died a month or so ago during the defense of Hongchuan. He's lost almost his entire legion. He doesn't kill the innocent. Yuwen Yue's childhood was full of tragedy, too, and yet he's the best man I know. Yuan Song, for all that he was born into privilege, has lost his mother, his sister, a brother, and other friends and peers to this conflict. He, more or less, lost his father, too, and was cast off by him to 'rule' here as an afterthought. In the end, he could've sided with his brother, turned on his troops, and taken Yanbei by force—but he didn't."

"Of course he didn't," Meng Feng said. "In spite of all of his losses, he's retained that core of integrity and child-like innocence that drew me to him."

"I think you can take some credit for bringing that sense of humor back," Chu Qiao said. "He was in great danger of losing that were it not for you, I think."

"He brings that out in me, too," Meng Feng admitted. "I didn't have much of a childhood."

"I doubt either of us did, given our backgrounds."

Meng Feng smiled mirthlessly. The ex-assassin opened her mouth as if to say something, but she seemed to think better of doing so. Chu Qiao waited as patiently for Meng Feng to gather her thoughts as the other woman had done for her.

"I didn't grow up in the Afterlife Camp—at least not at first," she said.

Chu Qiao's eyes widened in surprise as she realized what Meng Feng was confiding in her.

"For at least some of my childhood, I was just a normal village girl. One afternoon, I went out into the fields to make scarecrows and returned to find my entire village slaughtered."

Chu Qiao couldn't make her mouth work to say anything at all.

"So I know what it's like to lose all of your family so suddenly, so tragically," she whispered. "I know what it's like to be taken against your will to a place and bent to someone else's will. I know what it's like to feel desperate enough to do terrible things in order to survive all while feeling dead inside."

Meng Feng turned the full force of her eyes on Chu Qiao.

"I know what it's like to serve the wrong man but to see no way out that wouldn't likely cause your death and the deaths of others."

"And yet," Chu Qiao whispered, finally finding her tongue, "you chose a different life when Yuwen Yue offered you a way out. You chose to walk a different path, too—to not kill the innocent."

"I've killed plenty of innocent people," Meng Feng said. "Most of the people I've killed haven't exactly been the cream of society, but some of them…"

"But you didn't enjoy killing them, did you? You killed them because you felt you had to, not because you wanted them and their loved ones to suffer for the sake of your personal vengeance."

"No, I didn't enjoy killing them; I hated it. I died a little more with each innocent life I took. There will still be plenty of people waiting in the afterlife for vengeance on me, Chu Qiao—especially since I'm going to try my best to live well."

"Of course you will," Chu Qiao said. "Who would benefit from your refusing to live well? Certainly not Yuan Song, for one. As far as I'm concerned, you've earned your second chance and deserve to be happy."

"You've made the most of your second chance, too, Chu Qiao," Meng Feng said. "You and Young Master Yue..."

"I'm never going to go back to being the woman I was," Chu Qiao vowed. "Neither are you, Meng Feng. We're through doing dirty work for the wrong men. Here's what we're going to do: We're going to marry the two greatest men in all the world. We're going to protect them and our children with our lives, which are going to be long, happy, and prosperous. We're going to change the world whether those around us want us to or not. We are not going to make excuses for those around us—or even for ourselves."

Meng Feng smiled serenely.

"We're also apparently going to give and receive questionable martial arts instruction where our men are concerned," Meng Feng said.

"Of course we are," Chu Qiao agreed. "I, for one, am looking forward to Yuwen Yue coming up with even more 'training exercises' for the two of us to enjoy."

"I'm sure that Yuan Song will eventually start critiquing my sword drills, too. Maybe I'll humor him depending what kind of mood I'm in."

"I would say I'd love to see him try, but..."

"But you understand that some things are best carried out behind closed doors—including some training exercises that Yuwen Yue will devise for you."

"Exactly. Or ones I might devise for h-"

She cut off what she'd been about to say, but she knew that Meng Feng had still heard her, anyway. Yuwen Yue's refusal to accept what she saw as his portion of her abilities was a sore point with her—especially since she knew that he could use them to control his illness.

"Who knows what the future holds?" Chu Qiao said instead.

"Chaos. Trials. Hardship. Politicking. Assassination attempts. A dangerous transfer of power or two."

"And that's just the rest of this month," Chu Qiao said, smiling. "Sounds like we have our work cut out for us."

The practice field came in sight again, and both of their men were easily visible near it. Chu Qiao's eyes instantly focused on Yuwen Yue and stayed there, never tiring of looking at her beloved's fine figure and handsome face. She knew that she'd still be captivated by him when they were both old and gray, and she figured that Meng Feng felt the same way about Yuan Song judging by the look on her own face.

"Yes, we do," Meng Feng said, determination in her bearing.

A sense of resolve rushed through her, and she vowed to do everything in her power to make sure that Meng Feng got the chance to live the kind of life that she knew the ex-assassin deserved regardless of the woman's own beliefs. In spite of Meng Feng's assertions about her guilt, Chu Qiao knew that the future of Yanbei and, more importantly, her old friend were in good, steady hands.

 _I'll make sure that we both get our happy endings no matter what I have to do,_ she promised. _Of course, I'll try not to cause too much of a national incident in the process since I really do want to marry Yuwen Yue soon._

They walked up to their men, who smiled at them with varying levels of openness. Yuan Song grinned at Meng Feng, but Yuwen Yue merely greeted her with a calm but affectionate gaze. Chu Qiao knew that most people would see her beloved's greeting as too cold, but she felt warmth blossom inside of her as she was able to see the depths of emotion in his eyes that he only ever showed to her.

The clanging sound of swords interrupted them, and they looked behind them to see He Xiao and Xia Chong furiously fighting with their blades in hand. Both of them were grinning fiercely, and they seemed to be standing a little closer to one another than necessary. They ended their sparring with crossed blades, and He Xiao proceeded to critique Xia Chong with some physical demonstrations of his own.

Chu Qiao and Meng Feng exchanged impressed looks.

"He's better at this than I imagined he'd be," she said.

"He's quite a passionate man, though," Meng Feng pointed out. "In fact, were I not already in love with Yuan Song..."

"Hey!" the prince said. "I heard that."

"I know exactly what you mean," Chu Qiao said, smiling impishly.

Yuwen Yue continued to look at her placidly, only saying, "He would never bother with you, Xing'er."

"How do you know, Yuwen Yue?" she asked, pretending to be offended.

"Because he already knows that your heart belongs to me."

The casual intimacy of it took her breath away for a moment and almost left her incapable of saying nothing but her standard "Oh."

"Yes, he does," she managed to say instead, looking him in his eyes, which widened slightly in surprise.

He Xiao and Xia Chong walked up, sheathed blades in hand and smiles on their faces.

"I'm glad to see that you took our tips to heart," Chu Qiao said to them.

"We had fun teaching each other a variety of techniques," He Xiao said.

"I learned a lot," Xia Chong said.

"So I could tell," Chu Qiao said.

"In fact, Chu Da Ren, why don't we all meet back here this time tomorrow so that we can learn some more? Surely nobody could object to such a wise use of time."

"I'm supposed to be meeting with my brother this time tomorrow," Yuan Song said with a sigh before getting a devilish look on his face. "I'll have to tell him something more important came up."

"I know I should tell you not to antagonize him, but I can't pass up the chance to teach you more about the finer points of archery," Meng Feng said to her beloved.

"Maybe I'll even give you some pointers about how to use my sword," Yuan Song said, laughing before his face turned bright red. "I meant _your_ sword, as in...sword-fighting..."

Even Yuwen Yue couldn't keep from shaking his head at the prince's slip. Everyone else laughed, included Chu Qiao, who looked up at the man she loved with a grin of pure contentment on her face.

* * *

"I'm sure that once Qiao Qiao is approved for sword practice again, Yuwen Yue will proceed to teach her the finer points of swordsmanship just like he did with archery," Xiao Ce said to Yue Qi outside of Qiao Qiao's tent.

"Master will, of course, do everything he can to speed Xing'er's recovery along," the faithful guard said diplomatically.

Xiao Ce did his best to listen in on the conversation happening inside of Qiao Qiao's tent considering that the doctor who was currently examining her was one whom he had hired for the task. Ostensibly, the physician was there to evaluate multiple important people, but Xiao Ce had wanted to get an outside opinion about Qiao Qiao's health, and this doctor had come highly recommended.

While Yuwen Yue was nowhere to be seen, Xiao Ce knew that the spymaster would surely not be too far from where his fiance was being intimately examined by a strange man, doctor or no. In fact, Xiao Ce figured that the old stick-in-the-mud would've probably hovered over the doctor and scowled at him as he examined Qiao Qiao if possible, but they all knew that Qiao Qiao would've never stood for such foolishness.

A happy exclamation from inside the tent told anyone nearby that Qiao Qiao had indeed been cleared for sword practice. Xiao Ce and Yue Qi exchanged knowing glances as they imagined the tough task set before Yuwen Yue of keeping his woman from overexerting herself for the next couple of days.

"I'm sure that Qiao Qiao will display the appropriate level of self-restraint with her sword,"Xiao Ce told Yue Qi.

"I'm sure the master will be up to the task of directing Xing'er's energies in constructive directions," Yue Qi replied.

Xiao Ce gave the guard his most roguish grin as the doctor exited the tent and bowed to him.

"Talking to you has been a pleasure as always, Yue Qi," Xiao Ce said before walking away with the doctor in tow. "Now it's time for you to examine Miss Chong."

The doctor stammered his willingness to do so, stating again what an honor he found serving the crown prince.

"Of course you do," Xiao Ce said dismissively. "Now tell me about Qiao—Chu Qiao. I don't want your normal doctor double-speak. Tell me the truth."

"Of course I would never lie to Your Highness," the doctor babbled. "In truth, the general is doing quite well. While she will have to live with those unfortunate scars, she's almost entirely healed. Wounds like that can cause pain for months afterward, but I'm sure someone as tough as the general won't have too many problems in the future—except for living with the scars, of course."

Xiao Ce felt a prickle of irritation with the doctor's emphasis on Qiao Qiao's scarring, but he focused on the important issue.

"So she'll make a full recovery."

"Eventually, Your Highness," the doctor nervously confirmed. "She might need a bit of time to get back into shape, but I see no reason that she won't be able to regain most of her skills and mobility in due time."

"I'm sure that Chu Qiao will be back in tip-top shape in no time at all," Xiao Ce said.

"As you say, Your Highness—and a good thing, too, given the circumstances." he said, bobbing his head as he walked along.

"Indeed," Xiao Ce agreed. "In these chaotic times, being defenseless is a recipe for disaster."

"Ah, right, right, right," the doctor stammered. "And she'll probably want to resume her duties as soon as possible. Normally I would encourage such an attractive young woman to focus on finding a husband and starting a family, but with those scars—especially the ones on her chest...well, it's a good thing she's wedded to her job if you know what I mean, Your Highness."

The irritation he'd felt earlier blossomed into a wash of anger as he reached out and grabbed the doctor's arm. Fortunately they were in a more isolated area of the camp since Miss Chong had unsurprisingly wanted her tent to be pitched away from the bulk of the army. The few unfortunate souls who happened to see the expression on his face instantly turned around and scurried off the other way in a manner that Xiao Ce would've found comical under other circumstances.

"Chu Qiao is a woman of integrity and honor who gained those scars fighting for the people she cares about," Xiao Ce said. "She deserves your respect and courtesy, not your condemnation. If you ever say anything like that again about Chu Qiao or any of the other women you'll be examining today..."

Xiao Ce allowed himself to trail off, hoping that his tirade would be enough to silence the doctor. Sadly he had underestimated the man's intelligence.

"Y-y-your H-Highness," he blubbered, "I m-meant no disrespect. I was j-just being honest like you told me to be. After all, no man of high standing that I know would b-be willing to marry a woman w-with scars so severe that not even the finest white p-powder could get rid of them, and that's just the s-simple truth. Would you m-make her one of your concubines, Your Highness?"

Xiao Ce seriously considered backhanding the doctor for his impudence, but his mouth beat him to the punch.

"No," he murmured. "I wouldn't make her a concubine."

"Well...then...Your Highness…?"

"I would make her my princess," he muttered fiercely into the doctor's terrified face. "And then someday, I'd make her my empress, and nobody in the world would be able to stop us."

The doctor gaped at Xiao Ce in incomprehension, and the crown prince inwardly berated himself for losing control.

 _Qiao Qiao and my late sister are the only people who have ever been able to affect me so,_ he thought as he tried to regain his composure. _I need to get away from this place and these people as quickly as possible before something like this happens again._

Fortunately for both the doctor and the crown prince, Xia Chong's tent appeared before them. Xiao Ce merely gave the doctor an intimidating glare, and the man cowered in gratifying fear before walking swiftly into the tent. He figured that surely the man wouldn't be stupid enough to harass Miss Chong, and that if he did so, she'd make him pay for his idiocy.

As he turned his back on the tent, his eyes zeroed in on a still figure standing in the shadows nearby. His blood ran cold even as a corner of his mouth turned up in a wry grimace.

 _Of course he saw us. He probably overheard everything, too._

Yuwen Yue stared impassively at him, his face a blank mask. Xiao Ce didn't often feel real fear, but he knew that some of the things that he'd said to the doctor could've been construed as romantic claims on Qiao Qiao by some. The spymaster stood quietly, seemingly content to allow Xiao Ce to make the first mistake.

"I take it you heard everything," he said. "You always do, after all."

"Of course," Yuwen Yue said. "With Xing'er, I never leave anything to chance."

"Especially now that she returns your feelings in full."

"Naturally. Everything is finally as it should be."

"More than you know," Xiao Ce mused. "The heavens are all in alignment for now, but who knows how long that will last in such turbulent times?"

Yuwen Yue nodded and then went silent. The man didn't seem to be angry or offended, but Xiao Ce's inability to read him was alarming. For the second time in the past few minutes, he found himself blurting words out like an inexperienced child.

"What I said about Qiao Qiao, I would never-"

"I know," Yuwen Yue interrupted, reaching into a pocket in his robes and pulling out a metal rectangle with ornately-crafted characters on it. "That's why I'm giving you this."

He handed the seal to Xiao Ce, who stared at it in shock.

"This won't give you access to the Eyes of God, Xiao Ce, but it will provide you with care and protection inside any of my holdings."

Xiao Ce stared wordlessly at the spymaster, his eyes wide.

"I know that our kingdoms will likely be at odds with one another again in the future, but this is...personal. If you ever need help, if you're ever in danger, this will tell my people to protect you with their lives."

"Why?" Xiao Ce whispered, unable to say anything else.

Yuwen Yue turned the full force of his piercing gaze on Xiao Ce, reminding the crown prince of why the spymaster had such a fearsome reputation.

"Because there are very few people I can count on to keep the woman I love safe, so when I find one, I do everything I can to keep that avenue of protection open."

Xiao Ce nodded numbly and produced a jade pendant from inside of his own robes.

"This will give you and Qiao Qiao the same level of protection at all of my properties," he said quietly.

Yuwen Yue managed to hide his surprise swiftly, but not before Xiao Ce saw it flare in the man's eyes. The crown prince took the reaction as a small victory.

"Thank you, Xiao Ce," Yuwen Yue said in a more open tone than the crown prince had ever heard him use. "For everything."

Xiao Ce was spared the necessity of replying by a torrent of angry words that erupted from within Miss Chong's tent.

"Where's Dragon Bird?! I'll show you what kind of gifts a man gives a woman like me! If you're so interested in scars, maybe I can give you some of your own! How dare you…!"

The two men stared at each other in disbelief. Yuwen Yue's lips twitched in amusement as Miss Chong continued her tirade.

"She and Qiao Qiao are either going to be really good or really bad influences on each other," Xiao Ce mused.

Yuwen Yue stared placidly at him, not rising to the bait.

"Oh, come now, Yuwen Yue," Xiao Ce said loftily, regaining his mask. "Surely you've noticed how much time Miss Chong has spent around Qiao Qiao's commander. If her tirade is to be believed, he even gave her that knife that Qiao Qiao gave him, which is practically a declaration of love on his part."

"Neither of them has approached Xing'er nor I about anything," Yuwen Yue said.

"Of course they haven't," Xiao Ce said. "They're still dancing around the issue themselves."

"And she likely still thinks that she's not free to make such a choice herself," Yuwen Yue said pointedly.

"Perhaps I should offer her some relationship advice."

"I'm sure she would find your support welcome," Yuwen Yue said.

"As would He Xiao, I'm thinking."

"I'm sure he would love to discuss his relationship with Miss Chong with you."

"I could give him a few romantic pointers—and some career advice, too, for that matter."

"Will you also be giving Miss Chong some...career advice?"

"Of course," Xiao Ce said. "After all, how could I let such an intrepid woman allow such a great opportunity to slip through her fingers out of some misbegotten sense of loyalty?"

"You, of course, wouldn't benefit from such an arrangement in any way."

"Oh, I'm sure Miss Chong would prove herself to be an absolutely charming correspondent in her free time."

The doctor ran from Miss Chong's tent, medical bag jangling in front of him. Miss Chong flew through the entrance, Dragon Bird unsheathed and aimed at the retreating physician.

"I should probably intervene," Xiao Ce said in resignation. "After all, I did invite that idiot here. If you'll excuse me..."

He turned away from the spymaster and set off to rescue his doctor, the foreign weight of Yuwen Yue's seal reminding him of the success of this mission. While he knew that conflict between their peoples was likely to occur somewhere down the road, Xiao Ce was smart enough to know that making an ally as powerful as Yuwen Yue would go a long way towards helping to keep the peace—and to keep him ahead of his half-brother in terms of connections and influence.

 _And to give me the means to keep up with Qiao Qiao without having to resort to more nefarious means,_ he admitted. _And Yuwen Yue probably figures that Miss Chong would be a trustworthy avenue for him to send a confidential message to me should the need arise. He truly does think of everything, stick-in-the-mud or no…_

* * *

"Thank you for your concern, Master, but you don't have to worry about me," Xia Chong told Xiao Ce. "As you can see, I've made a full recovery."

"Yes, Miss Chong, the speed with which you chased the doctor was quite impressive—as was the doctor's speed in leaving the camp."

"He must have remembered another appointment," Xia Chong said.

"I'm sure that was why he left so early, Miss Chong," Xiao Ce said. "I'm certain that your swinging blade and...inventive descriptions of what you were going to do to him had no bearing on his actions whatsoever."

The crown prince seemed to be amused by the entire affair, but Xia Chong knew that her master was good at hiding his true feelings from everyone.

"I'm sorry if you had further plans for him, Master."

"The only plans I had for him involved making sure that he walked past the practice yard when Yuwen Yue began 'training' Qiao Qiao in swordsmanship with his inventive techniques."

Xia Chong gave her master a crabbed smile.

"That would've been memorable—and just as effective as my method of getting him out of the camp quickly."

"Indeed, Miss Chong."

She drew a breath and hesitated before taking the plunge.

"Master, since I've fully recovered, I'm ready to resume my service for you immediately."

"Ah, yes, Miss Chong," Xiao Ce said. "Your service."

Xia Chong couldn't read the crown prince, and her inability to do so made her nervous. She ruthlessly squashed all thoughts of He Xiao and the future they'd probably never get to have together. After all, Xiao Ce was her master, and she owed him her life.

"While your methods of carrying out your last mission may have been a bit...unorthodox, I can't fault the results—or deny the fact that had you not intervened as you did, their gambit would've ended in complete and utter disaster. You have my thanks for a job well done, Miss Chong."

"Thank you, Master," she said, clasping her hands and bowing. "It's an honor to be in your service."

"Of course it is," the prince said, waving a hand. "Many people would give anything to be in your position—so to speak."

He gave her a foxy grin, and she gave him a small smile back. She'd long ago grown used to her master's amusing banter, but she felt herself tensing because she knew that its presence generally signaled that he was providing the conversation with a bit of humor before getting down to serious business.

"I value your service, Miss Chong," he said, looking her straight in the eye, "which is why I'll be sending you on an undercover mission to a foreign land, one far from home."

Her heart sank as He Xiao's face flashed through her mind, but she kept all expression off of her face as she bowed to her master. After all, this man had rescued her from Liang's secret prison, and she hadn't even known He Xiao for an entire month. How could she refuse to serve him?

"I will do as you command, Master," she said in a professional tone.

Her master's lips twitched before he continued.

"Excellent, Miss Chong. Here are the details of the assignment. Your mission will be to guard a person I value above most others. This person lives in a foreign land and will likely be moving to another foreign land shortly in order to get married. This person leads a dangerous life and often makes reckless decisions that result in chaos. Your assignment will be to protect this person with your life as a member of this person's private guard."

Xia Chong's mouth opened and closed a few times before she got it to work.

"But, M-master," she stammered, "h-how will I-"

"Don't worry about infiltration, Miss Chong," Xiao Ce said. "You're more than qualified for this position, and this person is well aware of your accomplishments. In fact, this person shares a connection with you and would likely see appointing you to this position as the payment of a life debt."

She clasped her hands together to keep them from shaking as she nodded her head in understanding.

"You will report to me about the basic goings-on in the home—nothing too scandalous, of course. And you will, of course, be tasked with gathering basic intelligence in this foreign land. These are chaotic times, after all, and one can never have too much information."

"No," she said faintly. "One can never have too much information."

"I suppose you'll likely be joined in this foreign land by some of this person's soldiers," Xiao Ce continued. "One of them in particular seems to have been spending a significant amount of time with you, in fact, and might be looking for a new beginning as well—perhaps also serving this person, if my guess is right. You could use this to your advantage—in more ways than one, Miss Chong."

"Master, I don't know what..." Xia Chong whispered, trailing off. "How did you…?"

"Please, Miss Chong," Xiao Ce said, grinning. "Who do you think you're talking to? Who knows more about women than me—especially women who are in love?"

"In l-? Wait a minute," Xia Chong feebly protested. "Let's not go that far, Master. I'm not..."

"Not what, Miss Chong?" Xiao Ce asked, raising an eyebrow. "Not in love? Are you sure? If I had asked you to go on a mission far away from your commander—or whatever he ends up becoming after all the dust has settled—would you have been able to do so with your whole heart?"

"Of course I would've," she said. "After all, I owe you my life, Master, and-"

Xiao Ce waved her to silence.

"Spare me, Miss Chong. Qiao Qiao thought that she owed Yan Xun her life, and where did that get us?"

"Well, Master, it apparently got me a great mission and a man I...like a lot, so…."

"Mm," Xiao Ce grunted. "I see your point, Miss Chong. The events of the past few weeks rid me of my sister for good, put me in a position to make some powerful allies in Wei and Yanbei, and provided me with hours of amusement. Liang might end up at war with these two countries yet, but for now..."

"For now, we can focus on new beginnings," Xia Chong said, smiling softly in gratitude at her master.

"Indeed, Miss Chong," Xiao Ce said, a mischievous expression appearing on his face. "In fact, I should probably make sure to give you some of the same lip balm I gave Qiao Qiao."

"Master!" she exclaimed, her mouth dropping open.

"Maybe I should give some to the future prince and princess of Yanbei whenever they get married, too," he mused. "And I'll bet Miss Yu could use some, too; after all, she and Wu Daoya will surely get married after all these years."

Xia Chong shook her head at her master, an amused smile shaping her lips.

"Well, what else do you give to people who have everything already, Miss Chong? Excellent lip balm can go a long way towards improving marital relations—or so I've been told, anyway."

"Actually, Master," Xia Chong said, her smile growing, "I'd love a tub of that lip balm. In fact, I think you should make sure that all of your...employees should have a tub on hand for on-the-job...emergencies."

Xiao Ce barked a surprised laugh.

"Do you speak from experience, Miss Chong?"

"Not yet," Xia Chong admitted with dignity before allowing a conspiratorial twinkle to appear in her eyes. "But hopefully soon."

"You shall have your lip balm, Miss Chong," Xiao Ce said, chuckling some more.

"Actually, Master," Xia Chong said impishly, "I can think of someone else who might benefit from some lip balm."

"And who might that be, Miss Chong?"

"His Highness, Prince Xiang," she said. "He strikes me as the type of man who might need to loosen up a bit, so maybe an anonymous gift of lip balm would encourage him to enjoy life more."

Xiao Ce laughed heartily, shaking his head at his subordinate.

"I underestimated you, Miss Chong."

"Many people do—to their detriment."

"Indeed. I'll take your suggestion to heart and will make a couple of generous anonymous gifts when the time comes."

Xia Chong bowed low to her master, thanking him again.

"Thank you for undertaking such a dangerous mission, Miss Chong."

"I will guard Chu Qiao and her people with my life, Master," she said, clasping Dragon Bird in front of her and inclining her head.

"Don't forget to write," Xiao Ce said pointedly.

"Of course not, Master," she said.

She gave her master a final grateful look before whirling away to seek out He Xiao.

 _Maybe we'll get to go to that place after all,_ she thought, remembering the words she'd spoken a few weeks ago to the man she loved.

* * *

The back of Mo'er's throat tickled as the dust from the road beneath and from the hay around him coated it, but he resisted the temptation to cough. After all, his mission was important, and he knew that success hinged on being undetectable.

 _Of course, I think that the driver of this wagon probably knows I'm here, but he doesn't seem to care,_ Mo'er thought. _Or maybe I should say he knows that Du Ping'an's here since that boy couldn't stay quiet if his life depended on it._

Both boys had decided that they were tired of being told reassuring stories by the adults in charge and that they were going to sneak off to the camp to see Mommy and Daddy.

 _Well,_ my _mommy and daddy, anyway,_ Mo'er mused. _Ping'an just wants to serve Mommy again, but I want to make sure they're both okay and ask..._

Mo'er couldn't deny being nervous about the upcoming conversation with his parents, but he wanted to settle his future before any more time had passed. After all, he knew how quickly life could change, and he wanted to assure himself of a place in his new family before they had a chance to have children of their own.

 _Xing Xing's parents wouldn't take care of me because they already had a child of their own, after all, and I don't want that to happen to me._

The wagon lurched as it hit a pothole, causing Mo'er to grimace. Ping'an grunted, and Mo'er rolled his eyes. If they ever had to run for their lives, Ping'an would get caught in no time.

 _Of course, if I ever have to run for my life, Mommy and Daddy will be right there running with me, so I will be safe anyway._

Mo'er's gaze grew troubled as he thought about running for his life, knowing that Mommy and Daddy had recently done just that. The grownups who had been watching them at Miss Chong's hideout had told them what he knew to be shortened stories about the Battle of Xiuli Mountain and the brave things his parents had done before, during, and after it. They had told him that his parents had been hurt a little bit, so he knew that that probably meant they'd been hurt a lot.

The wagon began to slow, and Mo'er tensed in anticipation. He could hear the sounds of a large camp around him, so he knew he'd come to the right place. Once they stopped, he'd wait a few minutes before climbing out of the wagon and setting off in search of-

"Take me to Chu Da Ren now!" Ping'an's strident voice rang out over the encampment.

Mo'er sighed as his accomplice got caught, babbling grownup voices chattering away in dismay and scolding.

 _I might be just a little kid, but even I know the benefits of sneaking around someplace versus yelling loudly to get my own way._

He waited for the hubbub to die down, knowing that he'd be able to follow the crowd surrounding Ping'an and find his parents that way. Once he figured the coast to be clear, he popped up and jumped out of the wagon, scurrying to the edge of the camp and the shadows in which he felt at home.

"Mo'er?" a familiar voice said. "What are you doing here?"

Mo'er cringed at first, but then he recognized his daddy's main guard and sagged with relief.

"I'm here to see Mommy and Daddy, of course," he said, squaring his shoulders and lifting his chin.

The guard's eyes twinkled slightly as he promised to take Mo'er directly to the master and Xing'er. Mo'er remembered that "Xing'er" was what Daddy and his people called Mommy, so he wasn't confused.

To his delight, the man led Mo'er along the edge of camp and towards an area that he could immediately tell was the practice field. The sound of the clashing of swords rang out, and he quickly spotted Mommy and Daddy fighting with each other. He could tell they weren't really fighting, and his mommy seemed to be moving slower than normal.

 _I knew she was hurt worse than they said,_ he thought in concern. _No way would Mommy go slow during sword practice on purpose._

He almost cried out to get their attention, but he held his tongue, knowing that yelling could distract Mommy and Daddy and make them get hurt—or worse, hurt each other. Mo'er lost himself in the drill; the sight of his parents moving so quickly even while going half-speed was amazing. He hoped his parents would teach him to fight like that someday so that he could kill all the bad guys and keep all the good people safe.

Mommy and Daddy suddenly stopped drilling at the same time although Mo'er hadn't seen them give each other any sort of signal. He figured that their minds were together just as they had been the first time he'd met them and that they simply knew what to do without talking. His own parents had been like that a little, so he wasn't surprised that his new mommy and daddy were that way, too.

"Mommy!" he yelled out as he barreled towards the practice area.

His mommy's eyes widened bigger than he'd ever seen them, and her face showed...fear? Uncertainty? Mo'er didn't really know, but he didn't like it. He flew into her arms and felt her flinch as if she didn't want to hug him. He pulled back and looked up into his mommy's eyes, afraid of what he'd see there.

To his relief, love and affection shone in her gaze as she looked down at him.

"I'm sorry, Mo'er," she said, "but I'm still a little sore at the place where your head hits me when I hug you."

"I knew it!" Mo'er said, earning a puzzled glance from his new mommy.

"What are you doing here?" Daddy asked sternly, scowling fiercely down at him.

He cowered a bit before squaring his shoulders again and looking up at Daddy.

"I came to make sure you and Mommy were okay."

"I told them to tell you we were," he said sternly. "Did they not do so?"

"They did," Mo'er whispered, looking down at his feet.

"Didn't you believe them?"

"Of course not, Daddy," Mo'er said, looking up again. "When do grownups ever tell kids the truth?"

Mommy covered her mouth as her shoulders shook, and her eyes twinkled with laughter as she looked at Daddy.

"I've always felt the same way, Mo'er," she whispered loudly enough for Daddy to hear. "Especially about certain grownups I won't name."

Daddy glared at Mommy, but Mo'er looked deeper into his eyes and realized that Daddy was only pretending to be angry. Hints of laughter and other things Mo'er didn't understand twinkled in his eyes as he gazed at Mommy. Mo'er took courage from this realization and mentally prepared himself to ask his question.

"Daddy, can I come home with you now?" he asked, looking up at Daddy bravely but unable to hide the quaver in his voice.

"Are you sure you want to be my son?" Daddy asked him, his face impossible for Mo'er to read. "You could end up dying just because you're a member of my family like others have over the years."

"You and Mommy will protect me," Mo'er replied with absolute confidence.

"We might not be able to protect you all the time, Mo'er," Mommy said, her voice sounding sad and her face showing that she was reliving bad memories.

"You would do a better job than most of keeping me safe," Mo'er said. "When I needed someone to keep me safe, you and Daddy fought against the bad men and didn't get scared. You did what you had to do and even got the bad men to let us go. You and Mommy can do anything together."

Mommy got a funny look on her face that Mo'er didn't understand; to his surprise, Daddy also had a similar look. The expression looked out-of-place on his daddy's face, but Mo'er thought it looked nice.

"He has us there," Mommy said quietly.

"So he does," Daddy said. "Okay, Mo'er, you can come home with me."

"And Mommy, too," Mo'er said, looking up at her before turning away. "Right, Daddy?"

A heavy silence greeted his question, and Mo'er once again wished that he understood grownups.

"Of course, Mo'er," Mommy said, tears forming in her eyes for some reason. "You and I can both go home with Daddy together."

While Mo'er didn't understand the emotional look that passed over Daddy's face, he knew he'd never forget it.

 _Maybe I'll understand it when I'm older._

"You won't leave again, will you, Mommy?" Mo'er asked, looking up at her with wide eyes.

"No," Mommy said softly, looking up at Daddy with the tears still in her eyes. "I'll never leave Daddy again."

She pulled him close and hugged him tightly this time, obviously not caring about her chest pain. To his surprise, Daddy pulled them both close and held them in his arms in a way that felt right and natural to Mo'er.

Everything was good, and he couldn't help but smile in his parents' embrace as he heard Ping'an finally arrive. After all, he had what he wanted, so hopefully Ping'an would get what he wanted, too.

* * *

"You begged me to take you off of this mountain, Xing'er, and then you begged me to take you back up again," Yuwen Yue said, shaking his head in mock frustration.

"I didn't _beg_ for you to come with me today, Yuwen Yue," Xing'er fired back. "I told you that I wanted to come up here to practice using my Ice Martial Arts technique, and you told me that you wanted to come and watch."

"That's an interesting interpretation of our conversation, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said, his words echoing slightly off of the narrow walls of the back pass.

"Well, what's your interpretation?" Xing'er asked. "Wait a minute; let me guess. You're going to say something like, 'You know that you just wanted to be alone with me, Xing'er.'"

"Well, don't you?"

"Who says I want to be alone with you, Yuwen Yue? You're getting entirely too full of yourself."

"Well then why did you even bother to tell me you were coming up here? Why didn't you just walk up here on your own?"

"Maybe I didn't want to make you worry."

Yuwen Yue stared drolly at his beloved.

"Since when have you ever bothered to tell me where you were going?"

"Since I got engaged to you and realized I actually care about your feelings."

"That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me, Xing'er."

"That's probably the nicest thing I'm going to say to you today, Yuwen Yue," Xing'er muttered just loud enough for him to hear.

"What was that, Xing'er?"

"Oh, nothing, Yuwen Yue. I was just looking forward to all of the nice things I'm going to say to you over the course of our lives together."

"I'm sure you were," Yuwen Yue said, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly as he enjoyed their banter.

 _I'm going to get to experience moments like this with Xing'er for the rest of my life,_ he mused as they neared the top of the back pass. _We're going to banter about nothing, and she's going to do things like pretend she doesn't want to be alone with me even though we both know she does._

Yuwen Yue took a deep breath of cold air in satisfaction, ignoring the burn of it as it whooshed in and out of his body. Being with Xing'er was sufficient protection against the cold as far as he was concerned.

"It's not like I didn't tell anyone where I was going," his beloved said into the silence. "After all, I told He Xiao where I was going, and I heard you telling Yue Qi."

"You're actually becoming a considerate person," Yuwen Yue said. "My little Xing'er is finally growing up."

"Yuwen Yue! You-!"

"Why are you mad, Xing'er? After all, I paid you a compliment."

"Oh, yes, Yuwen Yue," Xing'er said, scowling. "Nothing sweeps a girl off of her feet like talking to her like she's a child."

"If I wanted to talk to you like you're a child, I'd just ground you indefinitely and save us all a lot of heartache."

"You're going to be spending an awful lot of time alone, Yuwen Yue."

"At least I'll finally have some peace and quiet."

"Isn't that why you came up here with me? To have some peace and quiet?"

"Obviously not, Xing'er."

The woman he loved pouted at him and deliberately turned her face away from him—but not before he saw the twinkling in her eyes. His heart warmed, but sadly, the rest of him did not. Xing'er now had a slight smirk on her face as if she could tell that the cold was impacting him as harshly as it always did.

 _Not that she has to worry about that anymore since Phoenix gave her back her abilities in full,_ he thought with relief. _I'm sure she'll use this opportunity to try to give me a portion of her abilities again, but I won't let her do anything that could endanger her_ _self_ _in the future._

They reached the mouth of the pass and looked down the sloping path to the shores of the icy lake in silence. Heavy snowfall and the absence of people had almost erased the battlefield completely from view. A broken battlement or two was still recognizable to anyone who'd been there that day, but otherwise, a visitor would never be able to tell that such a bloody, intense battle had been waged on Xiuli Mountain.

Xing'er was clearly lost in thought, reliving the battle as it had unfolded. He gave her the silence that she needed, his mind bringing his memories of his own fight at the main pass to the fore. Yuwen Yue remembered the fierce melee in which he'd wielded Po Yue Jian so effectively, the shouts and groans of the hurt and dying, and the final moment of desperation in which he'd fired his ice arrow to partially collapse the pass. That last action had bought them some time as it had slowed the flow of troops into the middle of Xiuli Mountain, but he knew that it had also slowed Yuan Song's troops down as they'd come barreling through the main pass.

Yuwen Yue mentally shrugged as Xing'er started walking down the pathway towards the shores of the icy lake, figuring that the battle had ended well enough, and that his actions had likely done them more good than ill. His beloved would look here and there, and Yuwen Yue knew that she was seeing places where her men had fallen, many of them never to rise again. They quickly reached the shores of the icy lake, and Xing'er stopped near the place where the barricade had broken and she'd stood her ground.

He himself remembered the raw terror he'd felt as he'd seen her taken to the ground and stripped of Can Hong Jian. The sound of him screaming her name reverberated in his mind, followed by the softer, much more pleasing tone of his beloved shyly telling him that she loved the way he said her name when he was emotional. Part of him had been tempted to deliberately say her name like that more often, but he'd decided to save that particular pronunciation for special occasions.

Xing'er reached the remnants of the ice fort and acted like she was going to climb aboard, but she changed her mind at the last moment. A troubled look appeared on her face as she whirled around to retrace what he knew she'd assumed at the time to be her final steps. They finally reached the place where they'd confronted Phoenix, and he wordlessly wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. She laid her hands over his and clasped them like she'd done when they'd slept together in her bed, leaning back into him slightly.

While his beloved's presence in his arms warmed him up somewhat, he could still feel the cold eating away at his endurance and leaching his strength. He had almost completely recovered physically, but his body was still susceptible to the cold thanks to his illness and the continual chill of Yanbei.

 _I can't wait to take my family back with me to Qing Shan Yuan and finally get away from all this cold._

Xing'er looked back at him with a serious expression on her face, but he looked away, ignoring the accusation and pleading he saw in her eyes. She stepped away from him and pulled him into the tree line, stopping at the edge of a nearby clearing that provided them with some protection from the elements.

Yuwen Yue tried to pull his beloved back into his arms again, but she turned around and faced him and placed one hand on his chest. The other, she raised slowly to his cheek, her eyes wordlessly begging him to allow her to give him some of her abilities so that he could control the coldness within. His own eyes went cold and his mask descended in place. Her face fell, but her chin squared.

"Please let me help you, Yuwen Yue," she whispered. "Let me give you your share of my powers."

"My share?" he asked flatly. "How can I have a share of your birthright?"

"Because you're my fiance, which means you'll soon be my husband. Once you're my husband, everything I have will belong to you and everything you have will belong to me, right?"

"That's one way of looking at it," Yuwen Yue said.

"Well, how do you look at it differently, Yuwen Yue?"

The overly-sweet tone of Xing'er's voice sounded warning bells in his brain.

"Your abilities are your own, and I won't take away anything from you that helps you protect yourself," he said, sidestepping the question.

"And what would happen to me if I were to lose you to your illness because you couldn't handle the cold? What do you think that would do to me, Yuwen Yue? To know that I could've given you the means to survive but you wouldn't let me, so you..."

Xing'er swallowed at the end, unable to complete her thought.

"Xing'er-"

"You said that you could control the cold within yourself after I gave you a portion of my abilities before," she said. "You could have that knowledge again and so much more if you'd just let me give you the things I want to give you."

"You've already given me everything I've ever wanted, Xing'er. Well, almost everything," he said, giving her that faux-pensive look that he knew always got a reaction.

She gave him a small, wan smile.

"Rascal."

"Rascal? How can _you_ call _me_ the rascal when _you're_ the one who's obviously trying to seduce _me_? After all, _you're_ the one who wanted me to come up here with you so that we could be alone together. _You're_ the one who dragged me into this clearing. What are you going to do next, Xing'er? Put on some bedclothes and try to kill me?"

"Yuwen Yue! How could you bring that up at a time like this? Are you ever going to let me live that down?"

"Of course not, Xing'er. Why would I do that?"

"Because you love me and want to be nice to me?"

"I love you, so I want to do what's best for you—like reminding you of your past failures so you can improve."

"I guess I'll have to do a better job of seducing you next time," she said, eyes widening innocently.

His own darkened as he reached out for her, eager to take the afternoon in a more pleasant direction. She easily evaded his grasp, however, and started using her Ice Martial Arts technique to form snowballs and hurl them at him. Her eyes danced with mischief and a little bit of malice as she made the snow dance with her abilities.

Yuwen Yue's face grew serious as he threw himself into the task of dodging Xing'er's snowballs. After all, he was Yuwen Yue, a general of Wei, the leader of the Eyes of God, and a formidable pugilist. His beloved was immensely powerful in her own right, but he was not going to allow himself to lose a snowball fight to her.

She was directing the snowballs with her hands, so he was easily able to dodge the first few. The woman he loved had always been a fast learner, however, so she quickly adapted to using only her mind to make and throw the snowballs. Xing'er was ruthlessly efficient, using her intimate knowledge of his fighting style to always have snowballs waiting to slam into him regardless of where or how fast he moved. She pelted him with her icy weapons with maniacal glee, likely feeling that she was getting vengeance on him for all of the torture that he'd put her through when he'd been training her at Qing Shan Yuan.

Eventually, he gave up, understanding that the only way he was ever going to be able to even the odds against Xing'er was to head for the cover of the tree line. He had vague hopes that maybe the whiteness of his robes would be able to help him to blend in against the snow, but he knew that he was reaching for any semblance of optimism at this point.

Before he could reach the treeline, however, Xing'er caught up with him and grabbed one of his long sleeves. Yuwen Yue was briefly transported back in time to that fateful lantern festival, although the man he was now was drastically different in many ways from the man he'd been then. One way in which the two men were similar, however, was their mutual susceptibility to a pleading expression on Xing'er's face.

Yuwen Yue felt his resolve against her weakening, especially as he became aware of the cold sweat that now drenched his body from Xing'er's snowballs and his attempts at dodging them. He found himself unable to stop the obvious shiver that worked its way through his body—or to stop himself from giving in to the woman he loved.

Xing'er once again placed a hand on his cold, sweaty cheek and looked him in the eyes with her pleading gaze.

"Please let me protect you, Yuwen Yue," she whispered.

He bowed to the inevitable and nodded once curtly. Her hand slid from his cheek to the back of his neck and pulled his head down closer to hers. Xing'er easily closed the distance between them and kissed him tenderly, once again transferring some of her Ice Martial Arts abilities to him in an icy-hot rush.

Yuwen Yue suddenly knew how to control the coldness within, so he did. The relief was instant and immense, and he could tell from Xing'er's expression that his new state of well-being was apparent to her.

"Thank you, Yuwen Yue," she said after pulling back just far enough to be able to look him in the eyes. "You've given me so much, and I've given you so little..."

He pulled her back to him and tucked her head under his, unwilling to allow her to continue in that vein.

"You've given me so much more than I ever imagined I'd have, X'er," he whispered roughly into her hair. "Now I'm going to give you something in return."

"What?" she asked, lifting her head and looking up at him.

He leaned in as if he were going to kiss her, but instead, he formed several snowballs behind her back and raised them in the air.

"This," he said huskily, lowering his face to hers and stealing a kiss before pelting her back with the snowballs.

"Yuwen Yue! You-!" his beloved shrieked with outrage as she formed her own snowballs and hurled them at him.

Fortunately, he'd already used his newly-gained abilities to erect a crude ice fort that absorbed all of Xing'er's snowballs. He formed and threw a few snowballs of his own, smiling in satisfaction behind his fort as Xing'er's squawks of indignation informed him that his weapons had landed on target. She quickly threw together a snow fort of her own with her abilities, but not before he'd pegged her with several more volleys of snowballs.

They lobbed snowballs of increasingly larger size at one another, trying to hit each other and destroy the other's fort. This approach got boring quickly, however, and Yuwen Yue could tell that Xing'er was already tiring of being unable to land a blow. In typical Xing'er fashion, she acted impulsively, catching him off-guard by forming a crude set of ice armor and running out from behind her fort with a volley's worth of snowballs hanging around her, ready for hurling.

He set to work mentally forming his own armor, but she was upon him before he could finish. She hurled her snowballs at him, making sure to hit only exposed areas. He sent some flying back towards her, but she mentally erected an ice shield in front of herself that caught all of the snowballs and saved her armor.

Stalling for time, Yuwen Yue lifted a large swath of snow and sent it flying towards Xing'er all at once. Her shriek was immensely satisfying as he successfully completed his own set of ice armor and assembled a pile of snowballs in moments. He hurled several of them at her before she'd had time to recover, scoring hits on her that cracked her armor a bit.

Xing'er smiled as coldly at him as the ice she was wearing and threw herself whole-heartedly into the task at hand, pelting him with snowballs as mercilessly as he was doing to her. Moving in the ice armor was not easy, but since Xing'er had the same difficulty, they were evenly matched in that regard. They eventually figured out each other's rhythms, however, and were soon engaged in a twirling, graceful dance of dodging, hurling, and ducking.

Finally they succeeded in shattering each other's armor at the same time, shards of it crashing to the ground as they continued to send snowballs flying at each other using nothing but the power of the Ice Martial Arts technique. Xing'er was grinning at him in triumph and challenge, unwilling to give him any quarter.

Yuwen Yue had enjoyed himself immensely, but he was conscious of the passage of time—and his own desire to make the most of these relatively few moments that he was getting to spend alone with his betrothed. Without warning, he suddenly charged at her and pounced, taking her to the ground carefully on top of himself in order to make sure not to injure her. He used their momentum and the slickness of the snow to flip them over, flaring out the long sleeves of his robe to provide her with a soft surface to land on.

He lowered his mouth to hers quickly and began to kiss her senseless before she even knew what had happened. A few tell-tale thuds around them told him of the fate of her final few snowballs, and the enthusiastic movement of her lips over his informed him of the success of his strategy. The pulse of his new Ice Martial Arts abilities paled in comparison to the fire flowing through him due to his current position.

Yuwen Yue lost all ability of rational thought for one of the few times in his life as the warm body and eager lips of his fiance beneath him drove away all concept of time and space outside of the two of them. Her small but strong hands found their way to the back of his neck, pulling him even closer to her. He deepened the kiss, the encouraging noises Xing'er was making in the back of her throat making him oblivious to the ice and snow around him.

Sometime later, he was made aware of them once again as a huge pack of snow suddenly landed on his back and pushed him even closer to Xing'er. He refused to give her the satisfaction of reacting verbally, instead forming his own huge mound of ice and levitating it above them. After giving her one more deep kiss, he suddenly rolled out of the way and dropped his icy load on top of his beloved, who reacted predictably.

"Yuwen Yue! You-!" she shrieked at him and pointed her finger up at him in that way he loved. "Why did you…?"

"Why did I what, Xing'er?" he asked silkily. "Why did I drop that enormous mound of snow on top of you? I don't know, Xing'er; let me think. Maybe it had something to do with the large pack of snow that you just dropped on top of me."

"I? I did no such thing, Yuwen Yue! _You_ just did that to _me_!"

"Losing your edge, Yuwen Yue?" an older female voice said from the treeline. "Imagine letting an enemy sneak up on you like that. Your murderous ancestors must be so ashamed."

Yuwen Yue stood up, pulled his fiance up with him, and placed as imposing a scowl on his face as he could given the circumstances.

"Why did you interrupt our lesson, Phoenix?"

The Underworld spy laughed harshly.

"Lesson? What kind of lesson were you trying to teach Chu Qiao, Yuwen Yue? Because that looked like a snowball fight that ended with some wedding night practice to me."

Xing'er blushed a becoming shade of red. Yuwen Yue assumed that his own attempts at masking his embarrassment were slightly less attractive.

"This was nothing of the sort," he stiffly asserted. "Those were not snowballs; they were...ice orbs. And this was a serious training session."

"Oh, I don't doubt the seriousness of the session," Phoenix said, smirking. "In fact, it looked so serious that I knew I needed to put a stop to it—and to help you cool off, Yuwen Yue. Thank you for helping Chu Qiao to cool off, by the way; she looked like she was getting a bit overheated."

Yuwen Yue's retort died on his lips as Yue Qi sprinted into the clearing, apologizing for letting Phoenix get past him. Phoenix stared at Yue Qi scornfully, clearly amused at the idea that someone like his guard would be capable of stopping her from doing anything.

"I know you didn't order me to stand guard, but I just wanted to make sure that the two of you didn't have any trouble," he explained.

Phoenix laughed caustically again.

"Oh, there was trouble, alright, but don't worry: I was here to put a stop to it."

"The only problem is that this woman interrupted my serious training session," Yuwen Yue said.

Yue Qi goggled at them and looked behind his master and Xing'er for the first time, his eyes widening as he saw the ruined ice forts, armor fragments, half-buried snowballs, and, of course, the sizable indentation where Yuwen Yue and his beloved had lain for who-knew-how-long. His eyes began to twinkle, and Yuwen Yue mentally prepared himself for the teasing that was to come.

"I see," he said solemnly, his facial expression belying his tone. "So what did you learn from this snowball fi...um, I mean, 'serious training session,' Xing'er?"

"Well, Yue Qi," Xing'er began with a straight face, "I learned that when I'm using the Ice Martial Arts technique, I have to be careful of distractions since they can prevent me from using my abilities effectively. That means I'll have to subject myself to many more distractions in order to train myself to remain focused while I'm using the technique."

"I see, Xing'er. So this is likely going to become a permanent part of your training regimen, then?"

"Oh, yes, Yue Qi," Xing'er said. "I am definitely looking forward to repeating this training session again."

"How long do you think it'll take for you to learn this lesson, Xing'er?" Yue Qi asked, now openly grinning.

"Probably the rest of my life," Xing'er replied. "After all, Yuwen Yue can be quite distracting."

Phoenix shook her head in disgust.

"I have better things to do than listen to this drivel," she said, stalking back to the treeline and disappearing into it as if she'd never been there.

An awkward silence settled over the trio, especially since Yue Qi was still grinning widely.

"I'm glad to see you looking so well in the cold, Master," Yue Qi said.

"Yes, Yue Qi, Xing'er finally wore me d...I mean, she finally convinced me to allow her to give me some of her abilities."

"I'm glad to hear it, Master," Yue Qi said. "Should we go back down the mountain now?"

"Yes, we should go back down now so Yuwen Yue can warm me up—with some tea," Xing'er finished, giving Yuwen Yue her fake-innocent smile.

Yue Qi shook his head, obviously surprised at Xing'er's growing boldness—at least in terms of expressing such sentiments. He led them towards the pass that was closest to where they were, which was the main pass that would take them directly to the edge of the camp. The faithful guard walked ahead of them, obviously wanting to give them at least the semblance of privacy.

Once again deciding to make the most of his time with Xing'er, Yuwen Yue nonchalantly formed a snowball behind his back and sent it flying towards his beloved. She instinctively dodged it, formed her own snowball, and hurled it at him with her technique before she'd even had the chance to turn around. Their snowball fight was back on, and they pelted each other all the way through the pass.

The bustle and clamor of the camp finally reached their ears, and they reluctantly stopped their play. Xing'er looked up at him and her eyes widened in surprise. Yuwen Yue whirled around, looking for the source of her amazement. He soon realized that she was staring at him, but he couldn't figure out why. Slowly, a large, happy grin formed on Xing'er's face, and Yuwen Yue was shocked to realize that his mouth had already stretched to show a rare large grin of his own.

The main part of him ordered him to drop such a ridiculous expression from his face _at once_ , but the more playful, mischievous side of himself silenced those other more staid voices and instead insisted that he smile even wider. He even went so far as to close the distance between them and take Xing'er in his arms, reveling in the last bit of intimate contact they'd have before rejoining the mass of humanity on the other side of the bend.

She stepped back from him and tried to compose herself; he did the same. Yue Qi turned around and looked at them, his eyes widening not so differently than Xing'er's had a few moments ago. His expression was different, however, and he looked more closely at Xing'er, realizing just how disheveled she looked due to their sparring.

 _If she looks that messy, then I'm sure that I don't look any better,_ Yuwen Yue mused.

He decided that he didn't care in the slightest.

Xing'er strode ahead of him into camp like a queen gliding past her loyal subjects, dignity and grace in her bearing. Yuwen Yue composed himself similarly and took his place next to his queen, striding through the staring masses with equal composure and gravitas. None could stand before them, and nothing could perturb them.

 _Oh, how I love this woman,_ he thought as his eyes connected with hers, which were alight with mischief in spite of her regal bearing.

Her own similar thoughts were visible in her eyes, the emotions present in them lingering in his mind long after he'd entered his tent and changed his robes.

* * *

AN: There's another one down; we're drawing ever closer to the end. Next week: Showdown with Xiang/aftermath. Two weeks: CQ makes peace with Xiang; other ships get resolved. Three weeks: Wedding night double-shot epilogue. Four weeks: Break. Glorious, wonderful break. (And trying to shape the plot of "Awakening" into something at least vaguely coherent and...plotty.)

Musical Selection: It's Christmastime, so I've been listening to Christmas music (as y'all might have been able to figure out by the last scene). "Winter Wonderland" fits here, as does the Trans Siberian Orchestra classic "Wizards in Winter." "Winter Wonderland" has been covered by just about everyone, so just Google it and take your pick.

Translation/Fanfic update: ddmcmc posted a chapter summary from Volume V at yunsheng dot wordpress dot com. Angel Chua continues to update "Secret Princess" and translate the novel into English and other languages at princessagents dot wordpress dot com.


	17. Chapter 17

AN: I got my Phoenix symbolism details off of Wikipedia, so if they're wrong, my apologies. Time is passing a little more quickly now, so events are taking place over the period of a couple of days instead of hours. The good XingYue is after her confrontation with Xiang, so you could skim down to read Yuwen Yue's reaction to the confrontation if you want (although I recommend reading the confrontation itself first so that you'll know what's going on). Also I should probably issue a general reminder that I'll be continuing "Awakening" after I take a break from writing after I wrap up this current monstrosity.

* * *

The harsh, haunting sound of the bili rose up and over the graves of A'Jing and his beloved and permeated the entire valley. Chu Qiao put her whole heart into her playing not just because she wanted to make a fitting tribute to her friend, but because she knew that this would be the next-to-last time that she'd ever play the flute that Yan Xun had given her. This bili represented a part of her past that she was eager leave behind as she stepped into the future as the wife of Yuwen Yue.

As the last notes of the melancholy tune she'd been playing faded away, she looked over at her companion, who was burning paper money with a solemn expression on her face. Zhong Yu threw one final piece on the small fire and straightened, coming to stand beside Chu Qiao.

"Thank you for taking care of this, Miss Yu," Chu Qiao said, tucking the bili away inside of her robes.

"It was the least I could do," Zhong Yu said, frowning.

Chu Qiao stood silently, looking first at the freshly-filled grave with its large mound of dirt over it and then at the more settled grave of the woman whom A'Jing had loved. She knew that Zhong Yu felt some lingering guilt over A'Jing's fate just as she herself did, but she didn't know what to say that could alleviate those feelings.

 _She knows that we might have been able to save him, too,_ she admitted. _But she also knows that trusting him with the truth could've condemned us all._

Giving up on trying to pointlessly analyze the past, Chu Qiao walked over to the small fire and threw a piece of paper money on it. She knew that they could never know what A'Jing would've done and could never change the past, so why continue dwelling on this subject?

She continued throwing pieces of paper money on the fire while allowing her mind to drift back through time. The image of A'Jing tearfully begging Yan Xun to allow him to serve the prince assailed her, as did the memory of her trying his cooking for the first time. They'd all been through so much together, and now both he and Yan Xun had gone on to the afterlife.

"Hopefully he's at peace," Chu Qiao said, looking at A'Jing's newly-chiseled tablet.

"I like to think he is," Zhong Yu said, smiling sadly. "He and the prince, together in death as they were in life."

"Mm."

They lapsed into silence again for a few moments.

"I remember that time when Wei Shuyou sent those assassins after us-"

"That narrows it down," Chu Qiao muttered.

"-and A'Jing fought them with his cleavers," Zhong Yu continued, smiling fondly.

Chu Qiao produced a small smile of her own.

"He was an amazing fighter—and loyal to Yan Xun," she said, eyes tearing up.

"More loyal than we were, A'Chu?"

"I think so," Chu Qiao said. "Although I can't make myself regret the way things worked out."

"Neither can I, A'Chu."

They each dropped one final piece of paper money apiece onto the dying fire, watching the papers shrivel to ashes. Finally, they turned around and prepared to leave the peaceful valley behind. The two warriors looked at each other in consternation, and Chu Qiao could tell that her long-time friend was no more eager to carry out their next duty than she was.

"You and I have faced many battles together, Miss Yu. Why does this one feel so hard?"

"Because it's the last one that we have to fight before we can move on, A'Chu."

"For you, maybe," Chu Qiao said. "I still have several more battles to fight, but I'm confident I'll win them all."

"So am I, A'Chu," Zhong Yu said, smiling.

"What about you, Miss Yu?" Chu Qiao asked, a small smile of her own shaping her lips. "Do you still have a battle to fight—with Mister Wu, perhaps?"

"Actually, A'Chu, I won that battle yesterday," Zhong Yu replied, breaking into a radiant grin. "We want to get married soon—especially since we want you and Yuwen Yue to be there."

Chu Qiao loudly congratulated her friend and embraced her.

 _There's another thing that might never have happened had I not chosen to walk away from Yan Xun when I did,_ she thought in contentment.

"Have you set a date yet?"

"No, but we hope to marry sometime between Yuan Song and Meng Feng's wedding—whenever that may happen—and your departure for Wei."

"I don't know how long we'll stay here," Chu Qiao said. "So much is up in the air, but things can change so quickly. We could be here for months or we could get bad news and have to leave next week? Who knows?"

"Who knows?" Zhong Yu echoed. "We'll set a date soon; the fact that he's agreed to marry me after all these years is good enough for now."

"I'm glad I won't have to wait too long to marry Yuwen Yue," Chu Qiao admitted.

"Let's get this over with, A'Chu," Zhong Yu said, her face turning solemn once again.

"We've waited too long as it is," Chu Qiao agreed, her own smile melting away.

The weight of the bili suddenly seemed much heavier than it had been only a few moments ago. Suddenly Chu Qiao couldn't wait to leave it behind in the tomb of the man who had shaped her life so profoundly in good and bad ways. She fingered the flute absentmindedly, her face turning troubled as she and Zhong Yu left the valley.

"Will you play it one last time, then?"

"Yes. One last time."

"And then you'll leave it behind for the prince to play in the afterlife?"

"Yes. Maybe in the afterlife, he's the man I first met, the man who gave me the flute after asking me to run away to Yanbei with him."

"That's a nice thought, A'Chu."

"Mm."

They lapsed into companionable silence again, each one obviously lost in her own thoughts on the ride back to Hongchuan.

 _Maybe in the afterlife, you're the kind, chivalrous, brave, caring man I first met, Yan Xun,_ she thought sadly. _Maybe you'll be able to take up your bili again and play it like you used to. Maybe you'll think of me and of the good times we had together before everything went so horribly wrong._

Chu Qiao allowed herself to get lost in memories of Yan Xun, knowing that this would likely be the last time she would indulge in them. She would remember him. She would visit him. She would play one final song for him. And then she'd leave him, turning her focus on cleaning up the mess he left behind in Yanbei and then, of course, marrying her beloved.

* * *

Prince Xiang did not approve. Oh, there were some aspects of his life that brought him satisfaction. The peace process seemed to be progressing apace, for example. Xiao Ce actually seemed to be acting like a semi-normal human being, for another. Granted, the latter fact made Xiang more nervous than if the crown prince had continued acting like the womanizing madman he'd presented himself as when they last met.

Relationships had been developing recently, and Xiang didn't approve of a single one—especially the ones in which people he cared about were involved. He wasn't too worried about his brother; after all, all he had to do was forbid the match on behalf of his father and the two of them would be unable to marry. His best friend, on the other hand, required a defter touch to rescue. The spymaster had shown a shocking level of naivete for someone who was normally so perceptive, but fortunately Xiang was ready to reveal the true nature of his close friend's fiance to him and to hopefully rid them all of her presence for good—at least in terms of relationships if not in business.

 _She can still be useful to us in a professional capacity,_ he admitted as his guests started to enter his tent. _Regardless of the way she's trying to take advantage of Yuwen Yue, I can't fault Chu Qiao's work ethic or her commitment to making peace. But I won't have her infiltrating Wei and starting trouble while breaking my best friend's heart in the process._

Xiang had spent a significant amount of time in the military, so both evaluating a situation and forming a plan in response were second nature to him. Chu Qiao's motives had been somewhat difficult for Xiang to figure out, but after weeks of careful evaluation and thought, he was reasonably certain that he had deciphered his former archery coach's intentions.

 _She's a clever woman who naturally wants to amass as much power, money, and influence as she can,_ he mused as some of her compatriots came in through his large tent's entrance. _Perhaps she simply wants to get as much of those things as she can, but perhaps she has a more nefarious motive for pretending to be in love with Yuwen Yue. After all, she is the leader of the Underworld, so what better chance would she have to bring all of her people's most hated enemies to their knees than to seduce and marry the head of their spy network?_ _No, I can't help but feel that she wants to make trouble for Wei generally and the royal family and Eyes of God specifically._

Once the prince had determined Chu Qiao's motivations for feigning affection for his close friend, he'd worked out a simple and elegant course of action. He was quite proud of his plan and was certain that it would work in terms of opening the spymaster's eyes to the truth about his so-called fiance while perhaps damaging his brother's relationship as well.

 _Chu Qiao wants power, so I'll give her almost instant access to more influence and rank than she'd have as Yuwen Yue's wife. I'll make my offer. She'll pretend to reject my offer. We'll hammer out the details. She'll accept my offer. I'll withdraw my offer, tell her I'm onto her, and ban her from ever entering Wei except under the most stringent security. Yuwen Yue will be heartbroken, but at least he'll know her true nature before wearing red rather than after—and at least we won't all be in danger from her schemes._

Prince Xiang pasted a smile on his face as Chu Qiao and Yuwen Yue walked through the tent's entrance together, arguing about something or other. While Xiang could tell that neither of them was angry at the other, he couldn't help but want his close friend to find a more demure, respectable woman to take as his first wife. After tonight, he'd be free to do so—with Xiang's assistance, of course. Hopefully he'd also be busy trying to find his brother a suitable first wife in a year or two; he'd keep his eyes open for suitable young women while looking for the best bride for Yuwen Yue.

"Welcome, friends," Xiang said, smiling at all of those who had gathered around the large table that just barely fit inside of his tent. "While our surroundings aren't exactly luxurious, right here in the lower camp seems like an appropriate place to have a banquet celebrating the progress that we've made in terms of crafting a lasting peace between Wei and Yanbei. Please take your seats so that we can begin our meal."

The people he'd invited naturally paired themselves off in couples (except for Xiao Ce, of course), but Xiang said nothing since that would actually suit his purposes when the time came to spring his trap after the meal had ended. As expected, Mister Wu and Miss Yu sat together, as did Yuwen Yue and Chu Qiao-and, of course, his brother and that assassin. He Xiao and Miss Chong also sat together, perhaps confirming the rumors about them that he'd heard around the camp. Maybe she had formed an attachment with Chu Qiao's commander or maybe she simply didn't want to sit next to Xiao Ce.

 _Not that I could blame her or anyone else were that the case…_

The servants had already deposited a variety of dishes on the table, and he and his guests began to eat their fill. While the food wasn't fancy, it was nourishing—and better than the average camp fare. Besides, most people seemed to be enjoying the company and the festive atmosphere, especially after the tensions of the past month.

"How unfortunate and unusual that I should be the only man here without a woman—except for His Highness, of course," Xiao Ce said, dipping his head mischievously at Xiang.

"That should be a character-building experience for you, Xiao Ce," Chu Qiao said, smirking at the crown prince.

"It's not too late for you to admit that you're madly in love with me, Qiao Qiao," Xiao Ce said, flashing her his foxiest grin.

"You'll be waiting forever for me to do that," she retorted, shaking her head in mock anger.

"Ah, Qiao Qiao, you wound me," Xiao Ce said dramatically, placing a hand over his heart.

"Good," she said, sending him a faux glare.

A couple of people laughed, and Yuwen Yue continued eating placidly as if he didn't notice that his supposed fiance was openly flirting with another man—one with more influence and prestige then Yuwen Yue possessed, no less.

The realization that Chu Qiao might, perhaps, have already had access to money and power were she to take Xiao Ce up on his offer made Xiang slightly uneasy in regards to his evaluation of Chu Qiao's motives. However, he figured that Chu Qiao assumed that the crown prince's offer was made in jest and thus was unwilling to entertain it—or to sentence herself to a life as one of Xiao Ce's concubines, which was a fate he'd have trouble wishing even on his worst enemies.

In general, the conversation around the table was light as people talked of pleasant topics that had little to do with politics and war. Everyone seemed determined to shove reality aside for a time, and Xiang was inclined to let them. After all, the less wary that Chu Qiao was, the more likely he'd be to catch her off her guard.

 _And when she gets caught off her guard, she makes foolish mistakes,_ Xiang thought with satisfaction.

"Now that we've had such an excellent meal, I can finally reveal the real reason for this gathering."

The pricked ears and wary eyes amused Xiang, although he kept his feelings hidden behind his mask. Yuwen Yue alone seemed perfectly calm and placid, seemingly unworried about what Xiang had planned. Chu Qiao's gaze had sharpened, although the prince knew that there was no way that she'd guessed what he had in store for her or his brother.

"Of course, I brought you all here together today to celebrate the recoveries that you've made, both physical and mental. We've all been through a lot over this past month, and we can all look back and compare where we are now with where we were then and feel immense pride. One person has especially distinguished herself in terms of planning, bravery, and a commitment to peace. Without her, we wouldn't be where we are today and the future would look much less bright—which is why I've decided to honor Chu Qiao by allowing her to marry my brother, Yuan Song, so that she can join our family and become Princess of Yanbei."

A variety of reactions greeted his pronouncement, and he was gratified to realize that he'd correctly predicted each one. His brother, of course, loudly protested, telling everyone at the table of his love for the woman at his side. She simply looked down at the table serenely, her mask every bit as good as Yuwen Yue's. He felt a stab of regret as he held no ill will towards the woman; he just didn't believe her to be a suitable first wife for his brother.

He Xiao also protested hotly, his fiery defense of his general and her love for Yuwen Yue predictable if naive. Xiao Ce and Xia Chong stared at him with openly-amused contempt. Mister Wu and Miss Yu stared at him warily, clearly unsure of his intentions but likely suspecting that the results would not be to their liking. Yuwen Yue's eyes had flashed for a bare moment before he'd erected his impregnable walls within them. And Chu Qiao...Her eyes were now open and honest, but he'd seen within them a predatory flash of raw opportunism that had confirmed his suspicions. To his surprise, he was actually somewhat disappointed that her love for his close friend hadn't been genuine.

 _I'll make you pay for that, Chu Qiao, and will expose you for what you are. I have few friends in this world, and I'll not let you take this one away from me while endangering us all. I wanted to believe that Yuwen Yue had managed to plant this flower within his own garden after all, but this flower is ambitious—and deadly._

"Thank you for honoring your servant Chu Qiao in such a way," she said modestly, inclining her head. "I cannot, however, accept such an honor, Your Highness."

"Why not, Chu Qiao?" he asked, knowing that this opening salvo was all part of the game and that things were proceeding just as he'd predicted they would.

"Because your servant is unworthy."

He smiled humorlessly as he remembered Yuwen Yue making a similar protestation in regards to Chun'er. Xiang glanced over at his friend, but the spymaster had not given any sign that Chu Qiao's words had perturbed him in the slightest.

"Come, come, Chu Qiao," he said jovially. "Let's not have any more of that false modesty. You're a war hero and a skilled fighter. You're well-regarded by many in Yanbei and in Wei—and some in Liang, I'd wager. You and my brother have been friends for years, so you'd make an excellent wife for him."

"Some may call me a war hero now, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm a war criminal in your land," she said calmly. "I joined in and even helped plan Yan Xun's rebellion. I've killed Wei soldiers."

"That unpleasantness is all in the past, Chu Qiao," Xiang said, waving a hand dismissively. "I think we're all ready to move into the future and leave such affairs in the past where they belong."

"So I take it that you'll be honoring Yuwen Yue and Yuan Song's agreement with us to grant us all full pardons, Your Highness?"

Xiang ground his teeth at having to give up such a large bargaining chip so early, but he mentally shrugged since he'd planned on pardoning them all anyway. After all, this peace process wasn't likely going to be successful if he decided to declare half of the people working on it war criminals.

 _Besides, nothing matters more than bringing Chu Qiao's true nature to light—and maybe giving my little brother a lesson in the fickleness of women to boot._

"Of course I will, Chu Qiao," he said. "I am, after all, a man of my word. All of you who fought with Yuwen Yue and Yuan Song and lived to tell the tale will receive full pardons from Wei as we move into the future together."

Chu Qiao's mask slipped for a moment as she gave him a genuine smile that lit up her eyes.

"Thank you, Your Highness," she said sincerely, clasping her hands and bowing to him.

Wu Daoya and Zhong Yu did likewise, expressing their gratitude. He acknowledged them, eager to get on with the important business at hand.

"I'll even give you a pardon for killing Yuwen Xi, Chu Qiao," he said, smiling. "If I could, I'd give you a medal for doing so, but I figured that you'd rather have my brother instead."

"Thank you again, Your Highness, but aren't you bothered by my background? Not only am I much lower-born than both you and your brother; I'm also the leader of a rival spy organization. I'm just a killer."

Xiang waved her off again, mentally tipping his head at her skill in playing this game.

"As with your part in the rebellion, all of that is in the past—the more distant past, I might add. No, I'm convinced that you've made a fresh start and that you've more than made up for anything you may have done in your Underworld years. As for your background, my years in the military have given me the belief that birth circumstances are secondary to personality and accomplishments. Besides, your martial skills will be useful in thwarting the numerous assassination attempts that will surely come my brother's way in the upcoming years."

"I would, of course, defend your brother's life with mine," she said, bowing her head once again, "but are you willing to excuse my lack of connections or fortune?"

"Do you really think we need money, Chu Qiao?" Xiang said even as he mentally winced at just how much Wei did, in fact, need money. "Not that we would turn down a fortune, of course; these past several years have been expensive. Still, I would rather see my brother settled down with a good, trustworthy woman than to have him marry someone just for her fortune."

His brother was openly goggling at him in a way that would've made Xiang laugh under other circumstances. The woman sitting next to him was still staring at the proceedings serenely, and Xiang's respect for her went up another notch.

 _My brother could stand to learn a thing or two from her—so to speak._

"But what about my connections, Your Highness?" Chu Qiao asked, eyes wide. "Surely you'll want Yuan Song to marry a proper princess so that you can form an alliance with another kingdom or family."

"Do we really need any more connections?" Xiang asked rhetorically, reaching the same mental conclusion as he had about money and Wei. "And don't be so modest yourself, Chu Qiao. You have many respectable people vouching for you in Wei and Yanbei. You're also a skilled general in your own right with the established capability of persuading men to follow you with an alarming yet endearing level of fanaticism-no offense, He Xiao."

"None taken, Your Highness," the commander said graciously, his mouth twitching in amusement.

Chu Qiao was silent, a pensive, calculating expression on her face. She was clearly readying herself to finally accept his proposal and expose herself, so Xiang readied himself for the kill.

"So let me make sure I understand everything, Your Highness," she finally said, her face unreadable.

"Go ahead."

"You're going to allow me to marry your brother because you're not going to hold any part of my past against me."

"Right."

"You're not going to hold my connections to a rival spy organization against me."

"Right."

"You're not going to hold my lack of good family connections or fortune against me."

"Right."

"You feel that my martial arts skills are beneficial to your family because I can use them to protect your brother from harm."

"Right."

"You feel that my leadership abilities will serve me well as Princess of Yanbei."

"Right."

"Well, then..." Chu Qiao said, hesitating for a brief moment as her eyes darted over to Yuwen Yue, who was as placid and unemotional as ever. She consciously looked away from him, and Xiang shifted in his seat like a tiger preparing to pounce.

He noticed that his brother looked elated for some reason, and he wondered if his brother's feelings for Chu Qiao were not as dead as he'd claimed. Maybe he really had managed to solve all of his problems with this one neatly-crafted scheme.

"Well, then?" he finally asked, losing his patience. "You're not known for your timidity, Chu Qiao. What have you decided?"

"Well, then, I'm still going to have to respectfully decline, Your Highness," she said apologetically.

"What?!" Xiang blurted out in a less-than-princely manner. "How could you...Is it the arm? Is that the problem? I never figured you to be that shallow, Chu Qiao."

Her eyes flashed and her face hardened.

"No, Your Highness," she said coldly. "The arm isn't the problem. The arm isn't any kind of problem. I myself have many scars, so if my own scars are not a problem for the man I'm marrying, then how could his scars be a problem for me?"

"Then why-"

"Your brother is a fine man, Your Highness," Chu Qiao said as if Xiang had never spoken. "I'm proud to be able to call him my friend after all we've been through. He's going to be an excellent ruler of Yanbei, a fantastic husband, and a wonderful father when the time comes. I never would've bothered to execute this coup in the first place had I not figured your brother to be vastly different from the rest of his family."

Xiang's nostrils flared at the insult, but he held his tongue, still feeling that victory was possible if he played his part right.

"So why are you still declining?" he asked. "What's the problem?"

"The problem, Your Highness, is that there's already a perfectly suitable woman for Yuan Song who meets your criteria and then some—and who, most importantly, is already in love with him. You've already said that the past, family connections, and fortune were unimportant, and that martial skills and leadership capabilities were beneficial. Meng Feng meets all of those standards and more and will fight all the harder for Yuan Song because she loves him. And trust me, Your Highness: Few things can motivate a woman to fight harder than love."

Chu Qiao's eyes bored into him, and he could feel his victory slipping away.

"In fact, Your Highness," she continued, smiling sweetly at him, "I, of course, cannot marry Yuan Song because I'm already marrying Yuwen Yue. I guess I can't blame you for forgetting about our engagement given how busy things have been around here these past few weeks. And since I'm not a great man like you, I can't have more than one spouse, so I couldn't possibly marry both Yuwen Yue and Yuan Song. Besides, I don't think that that would work particularly well, Your Highness. Do you?"

Chu Qiao clasped her hands together and placed them on the table, sitting in demure silence. Xiang was absolutely gob-smacked, realizing that he'd just suffered a complete, humiliating defeat at the hands of a woman whose mind he'd grossly underestimated. He could tell from the expressions of those at the table that they all thought him a fool—except for Yuwen Yue, whose face was still completely blank. His heart sank even further.

 _Maybe he's mad at her rather than me,_ he thought desperately. _Maybe he found her presumptuousness off-putting and disrespectful._

Xiang's mouth tried to work, but nothing would come out.

 _Or maybe he's angry at me, he admitted. Maybe I've lost one of the only friends I have because I tried to keep him from making a mistake._

"N-no," Xiang finally managed to push through his throat. "I don't think that would work particularly well."

"So I'll marry Yuwen Yue and Yuan Song can marry Meng Feng; that should work well. Don't you agree, Your Highness?"

Xiang sighed in resignation, knowing that to protest would only make him look like an even bigger fool at this point. He'd made the mistake that so many of his peers had made by underestimating Chu Qiao. She'd taken him in completely and had played him like he was a rank snot-nose still living in the palace nursery.

A desperate idea came to him and he weighed the merits of making the equivalent of a desperate charge to break through enemy lines to freedom. Maybe Xiang could salvage this battle after all and still achieve victory against the odds.

 _Maybe what she wants is the Eyes of God, not Yuwen Yue. Maybe her plan is to go back to Wei, make excuse after excuse to not marry Yuwen Yue, sabotage the Eyes of God_ , _wreak havoc in Wei, and escape, leaving Yuwen Yue high and dry without ever having to marry him at all._

"That would work well, now that you mention it, Chu Qiao," he said, perking up and smiling. "However, given the circumstances, you'll need to marry Yuwen Yue as soon as possible. Some people might doubt your sincerity otherwise."

Chu Qiao's face lit up in a genuine grin that quickly changed into the most predatory expression he'd ever seen on a person.

"Thank you, Your Highness," she said, clasping her hands and bowing as deeply as she could while sitting at a table. "I know that many people dislike me and would object to a marriage between Yuwen Yue and myself, but surely none of those people would dare to oppose our marriage with you endorsing it. Don't you agree, Your Highness?"

Xiang nodded numbly as Chu Qiao neatly outmaneuvered him again.

"In fact I think your brother and Meng Feng should get married as soon as possible as well, Your Highness," she said, grinning. "After all, them marrying would help to provide stability in Yanbei and would please the people and the soldiers, wouldn't it, Your Highness?"

The Prince decided that a full retreat was necessary.

"Yes, it would," he said woodenly.

His brother's face lit up more brightly than he'd ever seen it as his grin stretched all the way across his face. Even Meng Feng's normally serene expression changed to one of pure joy as she looked at Yuan Song with warmth and affection. Yuan Song smiled back at her and seemed to forget that there were other people at the table with them.

Zhong Yu and Wu Daoya broke the awkward silence, thanking him once again for their pardons. They promised to do their best to make Yanbei a prosperous, peaceful ally of Wei once again.

"In fact," Mister Wu said, "I have a few more ideas that I'd like to discuss with Your Highness, if you don't mind."

Prince Xiang smiled gratefully at the tactful tactician while feeling immensely ashamed of himself. He'd misjudged all of these people just like his own father had, and he couldn't help but wonder how high of a price he was going to pay for his folly.

Yuwen Yue wouldn't even look at Xiang; all of his attention seemed to be focused on Chu Qiao. The woman he'd tried so hard to set up looked far more nervous now than she had while confronting him. His close friend had still shown no traces of emotion, and he suddenly, shockingly found himself hoping that the spymaster wouldn't be too angry at the woman who had stayed true to him even after she'd been offered so much influence and power. He also hoped that he'd be able to mend things with his best friend—and with the woman who would hopefully become Yuwen Yue's wife in the near future.

Xiang dismissed everyone with a few more trite words, and people started bowing and leaving. Yuwen Yue looked at Chu Qiao and gestured towards the tent's exit imperiously with his head. She left without a backward glance, and Yuwen Yue followed her out, his face a blank mystery.

* * *

On the outside, Yuwen Yue looked as placid and serene as a slowly-flowing stream. On the inside, however, he was a roiling maelstrom of emotion, only managing to keep control of himself thanks to years of training. As they walked through the camp, they attracted plenty of gazes, but the soldiers quickly averted their eyes once they took in the bearings of the two of them. Yuwen Yue smiled internally, figuring that a bit of intimidation and mystery would do the men good.

 _And Xing'er, too,_ he mused as he watched his woman stride purposefully ahead of him. While he projected calm indifference, she radiated an air of nervous confidence and defiance. She squared her jaw and walked towards his tent, rightly guessing where he desired to have their inevitable conversation. His beloved had never been one to shy away from hard things, and this time was clearly no exception.

Xing'er walked into his tent as if she owned it, and Yuwen Yue couldn't help but contrast her current demeanor and feelings from those she'd displayed when she'd spent time in his tent in Chang'an. He followed her inside, stopping to secure the opening and to close them off from the outside world. She stopped in the middle of the tent and stared at him, challenge and brashness in her pose and expression.

Yuwen Yue looked back at Xing'er impassively, walking up to her slowly as his face gave nothing away. She clearly expected to experience the wrath of his tongue for her potentially disastrous showdown with Prince Xiang, and he barely kept a smirk off of his face as he realized just how right she was—although not in the way that she was likely expecting.

He stopped directly in front of her, gazing down at her with his most potent expression. Xing'er's beautiful, luminous eyes shone up at him, full of both fear and fire. Her eyes had always been his undoing, and this instance was no exception as they caused him to finally release his hold on his emotions.

With no warning, his hands shot out and grabbed her around her back and neck as his mouth descended swiftly to hers, claiming her lips in a passionate kiss. Xing'er gave an initial squawk of shock before wrapping her own hands around the back of his neck and returning his kiss with equal enthusiasm. Her nervous energy from the evening seemed to bleed out of her through her mouth and into his in a release of relief and arousal.

Finally he managed to break the kiss for a moment in spite of her muttered protest.

"That was dangerous," he murmured into her mouth before kissing it deeply again.

"That was risky," he said, kissing the underside of her jaw.

"That was reckless," he said as he pressed his lips to the throat that Xing'er had instinctively bared for him.

He placed his hand on the back of her head and gently lowered it back to the proper angle.

"That could've blown up in your face," he murmured into hers before kissing her on the lips again.

"I loved every moment of it, X'er," he rasped before lowering his mouth to hers and losing himself in the arms of his betrothed.

Xing'er was embracing him more passionately than she'd ever done before, his approval of her actions and the emotional high of her great victory obviously firing her blood and stripping her of her inhibitions. Yuwen Yue knew the situation was spiraling rapidly out of his control, but he didn't grasp just how much until he found himself walking Xing'er backwards towards his bed. His beloved made no protest, and he knew that she would provide him with no help in regaining his equilibrium.

As if Yuwen Yue had summoned him, Yue Qi strolled blithely through the entrance of the tent, pulling up short and gaping in astonishment at the scene that met his eyes. His guard stammered out an apology, whirled around on his heels, and exited the tent with comical speed.

Yuwen Yue staggered back and turned away from his beloved, breathing deeply as he tried to remaster his feelings. He was used to holding himself under such rigid control that actually having to work hard to calm himself was an unusual sensation. Eventually, he felt capable of turning around and looking at his beloved, who was panting heavily and obviously trying to come to grips with what had happened—and what had almost happened.

"You really need to give Yue Qi a raise, Yuwen Yue," Xing'er said faintly. "What would we do without him?"

"Whatever we wanted," Yuwen Yue managed to say, looking at her suggestively.

"You scoundrel," Xing'er said, blushing in a way that made Yuwen Yue want to take her in his arms again.

"Only where you're concerned, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said.

"I'd better go," Xing'er said, making no move to leave.

They looked into each other's eyes, that emotional pull that had always tugged at them even when they'd barely known one another trying its hardest to bring them back together. Xing'er gave him a mischievous smile and pulled a small, familiar tub from her robes. She opened it, ran her finger across the top of it, and slowly rubbed her finger over her lips.

"Do you want some, too, Yuwen Yue?" Xing'er asked, taking the same finger she'd use to put balm on her own lips and once again coating it liberally. "Your lips are chapped, too, you know."

His eyes darkened as he stepped closer to her again and ducked his head slightly, allowing her to slowly run her finger over his lips. Yuwen Yue had to acknowledge that the lip balm felt good on his mouth, but its soothing nature was nothing compared to the sensation caused by his woman's sensual touch. He eyed her hungrily, causing her to remove her finger and take a step backwards.

"Good idea, X'er," he murmured, gratified to see her eyes darken as he said her name the way she liked.

 _That really does work,_ the analytical part of him thought, cataloging her response. _I'll have to remember that for future reference._

Yuwen Yue realized that both of them were disheveled and figured that, unlike after their training session on Xiuli Mountain, he might actually be able to make Xing'er presentable. He reached out a hand and slowly began to reorder her hair, somehow ending up winding a strand of it around a finger instead. Xing'er stepped closer, obviously not objecting to his ministrations.

"I knew he was going to try something eventually," Yuwen Yue said, trying to bring some objectivity and reason into the tent.

"Me, too," Xing'er said, looking up at him with her heart in her gaze.

"I didn't expect him to take the specific route that he did, though," Yuwen Yue admitted as he turned his attention to smoothing out Xing'er's mussed robes.

"Maybe you should've seen this coming given how his father was willing to sacrifice Chun'er," Xing'er murmured, leaning slightly into his touch as he began straightening parts of her robes from which he'd already removed the wrinkles.

"I think he'll come around soon, Xing'er," he said.

"Do you?" Xing'er murmured, not seeming to care as much about his answer as she did his touch.

"Of course I do," he replied, not even pretending to be straightening her robes anymore as he ran his hands over his beloved.

Xing'er didn't object.

"He'll come to see the practicality—and inevitability—of this arrangement. He'll realize that we're not willing to compromise. He and I will have an awkward conversation. We'll work out our differences. All will be well. Victory is assured, Xing'er," he said before giving in and kissing her again.

After an indeterminate amount of time, she somehow managed to pull herself away from him, her eyes dazed and her steps unsteady. She whirled around and left, leaving a frustrated Yuwen Yue in her wake. His eyes roved around the tent before settling on Po Yue Jian, which gleamed dully in the light of the merrily-burning brazier.

Figuring that some nighttime sword practice would be a good way to work out his excess energy, he grabbed the sword's scabbard and pulled it out of the holder. Xing'er's silver bells tinkled happily, and he couldn't stop the smile that stretched across his entire face. Memories of their early days came to him, his mind settling on the image of Xing'er kneeling in the courtyard before he'd even named her such. The man he was now tried to imagine what the man he'd been then would think of the man he'd become, and he decided that, no matter what the answer would be, he wouldn't want to go back to being that cold, dour person for anything.

 _I wouldn't want Xing'er to go back to being that wary, weary woman, either,_ he mused, walking out of the tent and into the starry night.

Yuwen Yue noticed that he was once again getting a variety of both puzzled and knowing looks from the men he was walking past. He realized that, while he'd taken great care to smooth out Xing'er's robes and to order her hair, he hadn't done the same for his own appearance. His back straightened and his shoulders squared themselves as he strolled authoritatively through the camp. The spymaster refused to acknowledge that he looked less than perfectly groomed, and, as had been the case after his training session on Xiuli Mountain with Xing'er, he couldn't find much energy within himself to care about his image.

 _Being married to Xing'er is going to be so much more enjoyable than that old version of me could've ever imagined,_ he acknowledged as he reached the practice area and drew his sword.

The silver bells chuckled in agreement as he began a furious but graceful drill that failed to take his mind off of the embrace of his beloved.

* * *

He Xiao barely noticed the cold as he began patrolling the final ridge of his daily trek around Xiuli Mountain. Even though nobody else was up there, his day felt incomplete without checking for himself that all was peaceful in the snowy environs that were still technically his responsibility to guard. Nobody had ordered him to patrol here, but nobody minded that he did so, either. After all, everyone dealt with their demons in different ways, and He Xiao figured that strolling the mountain in solitude was harmless.

A flash of motion out of the corner of his eye had him grasping the hilt of his sword and pulling, but he pushed the sword back into place when he identified the lone figure standing at the top of the ridge and staring out into nothingness. While He Xiao was not thrilled to see Prince Xiang, he knew from bitter experience the dangers of turning his back on a prince—especially one as powerful as this one. Part of him was tempted to continue as if he hadn't seen the man, but he knew that Xiang had noted his presence and might make trouble for him if he ignored the prince.

Suppressing a sigh, he slowly walked up to Prince Xiang, making plenty of noise just in case the man hadn't heard him. As he got closer, he noticed that Xiang was holding a crumpled piece of paper in his hand. He Xiao came to a stop, but the only acknowledgment the prince gave that he'd heard him was to briefly loosen his hold on the paper before tightening it in his fists again, producing a crackling noise that sounded loud in the silence of Xiuli Mountain.

Not that He Xiao could blame Xiang for not wanting to talk to him; after all, he himself hadn't said two words to the man since his humiliation at the hands of Chu Da Ren several days ago. The prince had done his best to avoid everyone who had seen his defeat unless absolutely necessary, and he hadn't needed He Xiao's input for anything since that ill-fated dinner party.

"Can I help you with anything, Your Highness?" He Xiao asked, breaking the silence.

At first, Prince Xiang didn't answer, but the question he asked in return was the last one that He Xiao had expected.

"Is your father still alive, He Xiao?"

Multiple emotions cascaded through He Xiao, and he was thankful that Xiang wasn't looking at his face.

"Y-your Highness?" he finally blurted out.

"Is your father still alive?" the man repeated, his tone sounding so flat and odd that He Xiao couldn't be offended even though he felt he should.

"No, Your Highness," He Xiao said, coldness creeping into his voice. "He died in the defense of Hongchuan while defending two small boys from the brave Wei soldier who wanted to slaughter them."

"What did it feel like to lose him?" the Prince asked in that same emotionless tone.

"It felt...It felt...I can't possibly explain it fully, Your Highness," he said, puzzled at this line of questioning. "It felt like my heart had been ripped out and that, no matter how happy I might someday be in the future, I would never be able to fill the void his presence had left behind."

Xiang was silent for a long time, the crinkling and crackling of the paper in his fist the only sound that disturbed them.

"I just received this letter from a messenger," Prince Xiang said softly, holding up the hand with the paper clenched in it. "It says...it says that I need to return to Wei as soon as possible because my father has weakened significantly and will likely...join his ancestors in the afterlife soon."

He Xiao knew that he had to tread carefully, but he also couldn't resist his natural tendency to be open and honest.

"The first time I saw Chu Da Ren after Yan Xun had died, I told her that, while I knew that she'd been close to the prince, I wasn't sorry he was dead due to the pain and suffering he'd caused to so many. I won't pretend that I'll be sorry to hear of your father's death, Your Highness, because the blood of untold tens of thousands is on his hands. But I will say I'm sorry for you because I know how you feel and I wouldn't wish it on anyone."

"You don't know how I feel," Xiang said flatly.

"I'm...sorry if I offended you, Your Highness," He Xiao said.

"No, no, no," He Xiao said, waving his free hand. "Don't start that now, He Xiao. I've come to value your counsel because you never hold back with me or tell me what you think I want to hear. You didn't offend me; I'm just being honest. Your father died with honor, holding a sword in his hand while defending the innocent. My father will die curled up in his bed because his own daughter poisoned him after his favorite concubine drank the poison that said daughter was supposed to drink herself. I will never have the feeling of knowing my father died with honor. I'm sorry for what my people have done to your family, He Xiao, but I must admit I envy you for having the knowledge that your father died well."

"I'd rather he still be alive, Your Highness."

"Of course you would," Xiang said. "I think we'd both rather have any number of things be different—but they're not, and now we have to live with the consequences."

"Like the upcoming transfer of power?" He Xiao said, the prince's expression telling him he'd guessed right.

"This letter also says...it says that my father has named me the crown prince. Once he passes and is mourned, I'll ascend the throne of Wei and become emperor."

"Congratulations, Your Highness," He Xiao said, allowing a tinge of irony to color his voice.

"Ah, I hear that you've picked up on my obvious enthusiasm," Xiang said, his lips twisting into a wry half-smile. "You know, He Xiao, when I set off from Wei to conquer Yanbei, all I wanted was to bring glory to Wei and to prove to my father that I was the right man to become emperor. But now…"

"The first time I offered Chu Da Ren command of the Xiulis, she turned me down because she said there could only be one leader in Yanbei," He Xiao said, exchanging a meaningful glance with the prince. "She was, of course, right, but she eventually agreed to take command of us not because she wanted to but because she felt that doing so was right and necessary."

"I suppose I should feel honored that you're comparing me to Chu Qiao."

"My point is, Your Highness, that the best leaders are not those who crave power but those who assume the mantle of leadership reluctantly."

Xiang stared down at the icy lake, obviously lost in memories.

"What if I'm like my father?" Xiang asked so softly that his question could've almost been mistaken for the wind.

"Your Highness?"

"After all, I did try to ruin my best friend's life—and my own brother's on top of that—due to my own ignorance, paranoia, and jealousy. What makes me any better than my father?"

"The fact that you're asking that question, Your Highness. Do you think your father ever did? Or maybe he did and I'm being unfair to him," He Xiao allowed. "Your father compounded guilt upon guilt. The best way to ensure that you won't make the same mistakes he did is to be deliberately different—to rule with integrity and honor."

The prince was silent for a long time, his face troubled but his thoughts obscured. After a time, he once again asked an unexpected question.

"Are you planning on going back to Qing Shan Yuan with Chu Qiao, He Xiao?"

"Y-your Highness," he stammered, "I'm not sure-"

"Come, come, He Xiao," Xiang said, waving a hand. "As I said before, don't start that sort of thing with me."

"Yes, Your Highness. I would like to continue to serve Chu Da Ren in some capacity," He Xiao said cautiously. "I know some of the men would like to do so as well."

"How many?"

"Honestly, Your Highness, I'm not sure. Maybe 12-15?"

"Mm," Xiang grunted. "So less of an army and more of a...house guard? An honor guard?"

"Right."

"Have you talked to Yuwen Yue and Chu Qiao about this?"

"I've been...reluctant to, Your Highness."

"Because you didn't know if you'd be allowed to go with her?"

"Just so."

Xiang sighed, his breath pluming in the chill of the air.

"Over the past few days, I've been thinking a good deal about trust. Being too trusting can result in disaster—as I think we've all seen in the last several years on both sides."

He Xiao inclined his head.

"Being unwilling to trust at all, however, can lead to even greater disaster. We'll probably never know the depths of Xiao Yu's involvement in our hostilities, but we can't pin all of the blame on her when we ourselves are so culpable."

"We're all going to have to let go of past grudges and grievances going forward, Your Highness."

"Would this process of going forward happen to involve the presence of a certain young woman with whom you've been spending a lot of time lately?"

He Xiao gaped at the prince, once again uncertain of how to answer him.

"Contrary to what you might think of me, He Xiao, I'm not completely clueless."

"Of course not, Your Highness," he said, eyes wide. "Miss Chong and I have discussed our mutual desire to serve Chu Da Ren after she marries Young Master Yue."

"So would she like to join you at Qing Shan Yuan as part of this honor guard—and to hone her Ice Martial Arts abilities?"

"I've gathered as much from our conversations," He Xiao admitted.

"You know where her allegiance lies, don't you?"

"I know of her connection to the Crown Prince of Liang, yes, Your Highness."

"Would she ever make trouble for Wei?" Xiang asked frankly.

"Only if you or some others made trouble for Wei—or Qing Shan Yuan," he replied evenly.

"Fair enough, He Xiao."

"Like me, Miss Chong is simply looking for a fresh start that doesn't involve completely starting over again."

"I've also considered that, compared to Xiao Yu and her compatriots, having Miss Chong as a Liang operative wouldn't be so bad," Prince Xiang said.

He Xiao smiled grimly.

"Miss Chong would never make trouble without good reason. She's had enough trouble to last a lifetime—and so have I, honestly."

"Do you really think your relationship will last a lifetime?"

"Who can know the will of the heavens?" He Xiao asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Man proposes; God disposes," Xiang agreed.

"I can say that this will last for the foreseeable future, which is good enough for me, Your Highness."

"Ah, yes, the foreseeable future," Xiang said, frowning. "When my father...goes to his ancestors, our government and family will shut down for a mourning period as is the custom. Miss Feng and Yu'er need to marry before that happens—in fact, they need to be established at the head of Yanbei before that happens in order to avoid even more chaos."

"So I assume that the choosing of the auspicious wedding date will have less to do with prediction and more to do with practicality?"

"Do you think those two really care about what day they get married on?"

"Not really, Your Highness."

"In fact, I think Yu'er would be willing to marry Miss Feng tomorrow—if doing so wouldn't send the wrong message about his reasons for marrying her, of course."

"There will likely be talk anyway about such things, Your Highness, given the new timetable."

"Mm," Xiang grunted. "I think Yu'er will put aside his reservations given the circumstances."

"As do I, Your Highness," He Xiao said, smiling.

"I should probably talk to Yuwen Yue soon," Xiang said, fidgeting awkwardly. "I'm going to need him in the upcoming months, after all."

"And he'll need Chu Da Ren."

Xiang grudgingly inclined his head.

"They should probably get married soon, too, now that I think about it," the prince said. "I doubt that either of them would be pleased to have to wait for the government to restart again after my father's..."

Xiang lost his composure for a moment, so He Xiao turned his head to stare out at the wilds of Xiuli Mountain. He felt a pang in his heart as he acknowledged that, once he left, he likely wouldn't return here for some time—if ever.

"Well, we all have a lot of work to do, Commander," Xiang said, all business again.

"Indeed we do, Your Highness," He Xiao said, clasping his hands around his sword and bowing.

The prince dismissed him, and he walked away, his feet eagerly taking him towards the mouth of the main pass that would lead down the mountain and to Xia Chong. He needed to talk to her now that one of the largest obstacles to their plans had been removed; he was certain that Young Master Yue and Chu Da Ren wouldn't turn them away.

 _Maybe we can reach that place after all,_ he thought,his mind reliving their conversations about their plans as he completed one of his last patrols.

* * *

Yuan Song knew that he was supposed to be paying attention to his surroundings, but since he didn't care about palace furnishings or color schemes, he found himself watching the woman he loved react to their self-directed tour instead. Meng Feng was viewing all of the rooms and halls with narrowed eyes as if she expected a horde of assassins to descend upon them at any moment.

"Any other woman would be thinking of tapestries and pottery and color schemes, but my woman is likely building booby traps in that beautiful head of hers," Yuan Song couldn't help but say to his beloved.

She rewarded him with a sheepish smile that she quickly changed to a haughty glare.

"Actually, Your Highness, I was just envisioning some exquisitely-crafted metal statues for this hallway," she said in her best bratty princess voice.

"Do these statues happen to shoot arrows at hapless intruders?"

"Of course, Your Highness," his beloved said, nose in the air. "What good would they be otherwise?"

"You're right," Yuan Song said. "We can't have statues crafted just for beauty; they must be deadly as well."

"Deadly and fearsome," she agreed, nodding. "What shall we cast our fierce statues as, Your Highness?"

"Phoenixes."

"Why phoenixes, Your Highness?"

"Because Phoenix is scary," Yuan Song said in a decidedly un-princely voice.

Meng Feng dropped her snooty air and shook her head at him affectionately, her hands on her hips.

"Well, she is!" he said, his eyes widened in mock terror.

"I think that would be a fitting tribute, Yuan Song," Meng Feng said as they walked down the hallway. "We'd all be dead had she not intervened, after all."

"I'm glad she's on our side—as much as she can be on anyone's side, that is."

"Phoenixes it is, then," Meng Feng said, grinning at him as they walked into what had been Yan Xun's bedroom.

The grins slid off both of their faces as they looked around the room in which his old friend had died. Yuan Song didn't know if the anger and depression that he sensed in the room came from his own imagination or from somewhere else, but he felt deep inside of himself that he didn't want to ever spend a night in this bed. He looked over at his beloved and saw that her face was also troubled; she turned her head and met his eyes, not needing to say anything to communicate her uneasiness.

"I know they've already replaced all the bedclothes, but we'll have them replace everything thing else in here," Meng Feng said.

He nodded in agreement and walked back out into the hall, glad to be away from the oppressive feeling he'd experienced in what he would likely always think of as Yan Xun's bedroom. The prince led the way to what he knew was the area that Meng Feng would live in as the first— _and only,_ he could hear hear add—wife of the Marquis of Yanbei. Given how unpleasant Yan Xun's room had felt, he had no idea what to expect of the room that had last been inhabited by his old friend's mother.

Meng Feng walked into the room first, her alert bearing telling Yuan Song that she wanted to be the first one to face any feelings of unpleasantness. His heart swelled with affection for his beloved and her wide protective streak. She needn't have worried, however, as the atmosphere in this room was the opposite of the bedroom they'd just left.

Unlike Yan Xun's bedroom, this room was light and cheerful with furnishings that were elegant without being imposing. More appealing than the inviting décor, however, was the sense of peace that pervaded the entire space. He walked slowly over to the spacious, cozy-looking bed and gazed at it longingly, foreseeing numerous nights of sleeping here instead of Yan Xun's room in his future.

"We won't have to tell them to replace much of anything in here," Meng Feng said softly.

"Are you sure? This is your room, after all; you can do anything you want with it."

"Our room," she said firmly.

"What?"

"This will be our room, Yuan Song."

"Don't be silly, Meng Feng. We just left my room, and this will be-"

"Our room," she repeated, walking up to him. "I saw your face in there, Yuan Song, and I don't blame you for feeling uneasy in that room. Had his sword flown out of its scabbard and attacked us, I wouldn't have been surprised."

"For the record, Meng Feng, I would put you up against a phantom sword any day," Yuan Song said, smiling wanly.

Meng Feng gave him a small smile back, her expression telling him that she wasn't going to let the subject of their living arrangements go.

"You're not going to spend any more time in that room than you have to, Yuan Song," she said, looking down at what would become her bed in a few days.

"As the Marquis of Yanbei, I'm supposed to-"

"-do whatever you want—especially in terms of sleeping arrangements."

Yuan Song sighed.

"I just don't want to impose on your personal space. Are you...sure…?"

Yuan Song trailed off as he noticed the look on his beloved's face and was thankful that they'd elected to tour the palace on their own. He knew that if anyone else had been in the room to see the expression on Meng Feng's gorgeous face, he'd have blushed badly. The woman he loved was telling him with her eyes that she was very much looking forward to sharing this room—and this bed—with him in the near future.

"We'll sleep here, Yuan Song," she said. "Both of us—in _our_ bed."

He hesitated a moment.

"Okay, Meng Feng, but someday..."

"Yes, someday," she said quietly. "Someday we'll face his ghost, but not today—and not anytime soon."

"When the time comes, we'll face him together," he vowed.

"Of course," Meng Feng replied. "I wouldn't allow you to do otherwise."

Yuan Song grinned.

"Now that, I believe."

"Good," she said, smiling as she turned slightly and wound her arms around his waist. He pulled her closer with his own arm and grinned larger as his woman sighed in obvious contentment.

"Installing the phoenixes will make me feel better," he said, trying to lighten the mood.

His beloved looked up at him, laughter sparkling in her eyes.

"Well, we could pair those phoenixes with dragons," she said mischievously. "That would be appropriate décor for the hallway leading to our bedrooms, right?"

Yuan Song felt himself blush, remembering that phoenixes and dragons were supposed to represent marital bliss when paired together.

"What would that tell others about our expectations for the future if our phoenix and dragon statues shoot arrows?"

"It would tell others that we're going to be blissfully happy and that if anyone tries to come between us, our statues will fill them full of holes."

"You can be so romantic sometimes, Meng Feng," Yuan Song said, shaking his head affectionately at his beloved. "Of course, phoenixes are supposed to represent loyalty and fidelity on their own, so they would definitely be appropriate for you."

"If my memory serves me correctly, they're also supposed to represent wise rule, which would be even more appropriate for you."

"For us," Yuan Song said, looking down at Meng Feng. "Do you really think that I'm going to be capable of ruling these people without you? I don't even know if I could make it through one officers' meeting without you at my side."

Meng Feng smiled softly at him.

"We'll figure out how to rule Yanbei together, just like we've learned how to do everything else together."

Yuan Song stared at the bed—their bed—and gulped.

"Speaking of which...once we're married...I don't know much about..."

Meng Feng gave him one of her serene looks.

"When we first met, you didn't know much about fighting one-handed, either, and now look at what you can do. We'll figure things out together just like we have for awhile now."

"Well, you did teach me to use my sword one-handed, so..."

He trailed off in mortification as he realized what he'd just said, his face turning red enough to match the wedding robes he and his fiance would soon be wearing. Yuan Song reluctantly looked at his beloved, halfway afraid to face her.

"Never change, Yuan Song," she said, her eyes full of love and amusement. "And for the record, I don't know much about such things, either, but I do know that people with far less intelligence than the two of us have managed to figure out their wedding nights, so I have complete faith in our ability to...win this upcoming battle, so to speak."

Yuan Song nodded wordlessly, his embarrassment giving way to love for his woman. She briefly grasped his hand and squeezed it before turning around and walking out of their room, and he followed her without hesitation.

 _I truly am the luckiest of men,_ he thought as he dutifully continued to survey the palace that would soon become his and his beloved's.

* * *

As Chu Qiao dismounted her horse, she ruefully thought that she'd almost rather be back in battle than here in this small, dusty town. The two Xiulis who had accompanied her seemed equally discomfited, although she couldn't imagine why they'd be so anxious. After all, the odds of someone staging an attack on a town this tiny were slim, and surely the three of them would be able to handle the sort of men who would be sent after the two women living in the little home before her. The Xiulis couldn't even say they weren't familiar with the locale since they'd been coming here weekly for years to ensure that her sisters had had everything they'd needed.

So much had happened since she'd last seen her sisters that she had no idea if she'd even be able to relate to them anymore. Her days as an anxious, wary silver bell were far behind her, and her future involved voluntarily returning to the place from which the three of them had tried so hard to escape. She would be marrying the man who had technically killed their brother and who was related to the man who had murdered their big sister. How would they react to her showing up so suddenly?

The Xiulis nodded at her and took their places on either side of the main entrance, their bearing appropriately martial and imposing. Chu Qiao suppressed a smile at the sight, amused yet touched at the loyalty her men showed her even in such a remote location. She squared her shoulders and strode through the door, her eyes adjusting to the dimness just in time to see two figures hurtling towards her.

"Sister! Sister!" they cried as they embraced her.

"Xiao Ba, Xiao Qi," she said warmly, hugging them back.

She waited for them to finish bombarding her with a cacophony of questions before deciding to answer the most important one first.

"Have those two really not told you about Yuwen Yue and I?" she asked incredulously. "As much as they like to gossip, I'm surprised all of Yanbei doesn't know."

"They wouldn't tell us anything," Xiao Ba said, pouting. "They kept saying we'd have to ask you for the details, so now that you're here, you can tell us everything."

"Well, as you might have guessed from their reluctance to give you any details, Yuwen Yue has asked me to marry him and I've said yes," Chu Qiao said, a smile breaking out on her face.

Her grin increased in size as her sisters emitted squeals and shrieks that would've brought an enemy army to their knees with their intensity. Another flurry of questions followed, but Chu Qiao couldn't help but notice the slightly wistful expression on Xiao Ba's face. She briefly considered the possibility that her little sister had had feelings for her master, but dismissed such thoughts as counterproductive.

 _After all, Yuwen Yue is mine, so why bother thinking about possibilities that will never happen?_

Xiao Qi invited her in for a cup of tea, and she accepted, fielding their questions all the while. She gave them many details about her relationship with Yuwen Yue (while also leaving out a few of the more intimate ones) that had them sighing and laughing in all the right places. They clamored for more such stories, so she told them about Yuan Song and Meng Feng. Her sisters had a hard time believing that the same immature, spoiled prince who had tried to buy her at Qing Shan Yuan had grown up to be such a brave, romantic man.

The afternoon passed surprisingly quickly as she told them story after story from the past month or so. They seemed especially enthralled by her stories about He Xiao and the Xiulis—especially those that had to do with the actions of the soldiers. Xiao Ba asked about the two soldiers who had been coming to see them for years, and Chu Qiao dutifully told them a sanitized account of their courageous actions in the Battle of Xiuli Mountain. Considering that one of them had almost died at the barricade but had been rescued by He Xiao and the other had fought to the end and given blood to her, she didn't have to exaggerate their courage and bravery. Chu Qiao noticed that they also seemed quite wistful over the details of He Xiao's burgeoning relationship with Xia Chong, but she had no idea of what exactly had made them feel that way.

"Don't worry, sisters," she said. "I'm sure that you'll be able to find husbands of your own soon enough. In fact, discussing the future is one of the reasons I came here. Yuwen Yue and I have talked, and he's promised to provide you both with sufficient dowries and to help you find good husbands if that's what you want to do. He's also said that you can come back with us to Qing Shan Yuan, but we figured that you'd likely want to start families of your own in Yanbei instead."

Their eyes filled with tears, and they started shifting around nervously.

"Actually, sister," Xiao Qi said shyly, "we've already found husbands."

"What?!"

"That's right, sister," Xiao Ba confirmed. "We fell in love with them years ago, but given our circumstances, we didn't know if we'd ever be able to marry the men we love."

"Who could you have possibly fallen in love with here?" Chu Qiao asked. "After all, almost every man your age who grew up here has likely left to seek his fortune in a bigger city or to join the army."

Both of her sisters got guilty expressions on their faces as she said the last part, and two sets of eyes tracked to the door of their small home. Chu Qiao stared at them in incomprehension for a few seconds before the truth dawned on her and her eyes widened. She got up, walked to the entrance, and stuck her head out, staring imperiously at the two guilty-looking soldiers who had been standing guard outside.

The two Xiulis trudged into the house as if they were being led to their execution. Chu Qiao couldn't miss how their eyes lit up as they saw her sisters—and how her own sisters responded with looks of adoration of their own. She scowled at them, hating to admit that, once again, she'd been oblivious to the obvious truth that had been right in front of her eyes and that these two men had deliberately hidden the truth from her.

"You two fought with me at the gates of Chang'an," she began without preamble. "You ambushed the Wei soldiers so that Yan Xun could escape. You stood fast with me on the ramparts of Hongchuan against the vastly-larger Wei army. You stayed with the Xiuli Legion in Yanbei even though you knew that everyone hated you. You fought at my side to the bitter end on Xiuli Mountain. One of you almost gave your life there; the other was willing to risk his life to save mine. So how is it possible that you can do all of these things but can't even find the courage to tell me that you've fallen in love with my sisters?"

"Because the last time you thought your sisters were in danger, you started a war?" one of them said. The other nodded, his eyes wide.

Chu Qiao scowled but had to mentally award them a point for accuracy. She had to make sure that these men were serious about her sisters, though, so she planned her attack.

"Pathetic," she said, looking at them contemptuously. "I'm not sure if two such cowards are worthy of marrying my sisters."

She was gratified to see fire blaze in their eyes as they straightened their shoulders and strode proudly over to her two sisters. Each man took his place by his woman, and each sister beamed up at the man she loved.

"We know we're unworthy of the love of two such wonderful, beautiful women, Chu Da Ren," the soldier standing next to Xiao Qi said, "but we love them all the same and will dedicate our lives to their safety and happiness."

Chu Qiao's sisters both turned their best pleading gazes on her, but she kept her face vaguely disapproving as she inclined her head towards the door. The Xiulis reluctantly parted from their women and exited the house, nodding at her and muttering, "Chu Da Ren."

"Are you sure this is what you want?" she asked her sisters once the men were out of earshot. "Yuwen Yue has promised me that he'd help you to find husbands—or to be allowed to live in peace at Qing Shan Yuan or anywhere else you want, for that matter. You have options, you know."

"We know, Sister," Xiao Ba said, "and we're thankful for Yuwen Yue's generosity. But we've loved our Xiulis for years and could never turn our backs on them now just because we might be able to marry richer men."

"Besides, you said yourself how brave and loyal they are," Xiao Qi said. "We would've married them already, but with life so unpredictable and so many things left unresolved, we didn't feel like we had the freedom to do what we wanted."

"I know exactly what you mean," Chu Qiao said, giving them a small smile. "I felt much the same way about Yuwen Yue, and part of me still expects to wake up back in my palace room having dreamed the last month or so out of desperation."

She let the moment drag out for a few beats before grinning at her sisters.

"Okay," she said, bracing herself for the inevitable hugs and squeals, "you can marry your Xiulis."

Her sisters converged on her, babbling their love and thanks and promising to be good wives and mothers.

"I know you will," she replied. "I know the men will be good husbands and fathers as well. They're the best of men—except for Yuwen Yue, of course."

"Oh, of course," Xiao Qi said, rolling her eyes. "I'm sure that you've decided that Yuwen Yue is the best man in the world by using your head and not your heart."

"Of course," Chu Qiao echoed her sister. "Who else is better at planning, fighting, diplomacy, spying, and living well than Yuwen Yue?"

"And kissing?" Xiao Ba asked, grinning mischievously.

"Of course," Chu Qiao said again, not missing a beat.

Her sisters predictably squealed again, bombarding her with a variety of questions about Yuwen Yue's...skills that she refused to answer in full.

"Speaking of which, I'm assuming that you'll want to...talk to your men," she said.

"Right, right, right!" Xiao Qi said.

"Right! We want to...talk!" Xiao Ba affirmed.

"Talk," Xiao Qi echoed, nodding enthusiastically.

Chu Qiao smiled at them before walking to the door and sticking her head out of it once again.

"Your fiances want to...talk to you," Chu Qiao told them with a straight face.

Her Xiulis' eyes lit up and they both stammered their thanks.

"Don't thank me," she said, grinning at them. "Go thank my sisters."

They wasted no time in going inside the house, and the noises that soon came from within told Chu Qiao that there was a lot of thanking going on.

 _Not that I could say anything to any of them given my own craving for Yuwen Yue's touches and kisses,_ she acknowledged. _The ride back to camp is going to be immensely enjoyable, though._

A short time later, her sisters and her soldiers emerged from the dwelling, all of them looking a bit worse for wear but not scandalously so. She eyed them knowingly, and her sisters blushed—but not as badly as her Xiulis, who stammered assurances that they hadn't done anything inappropriate. Chu Qiao looked at them skeptically, but ultimately smiled in happiness.

As they said their goodbyes, Chu Qiao reflected that she was glad that she'd taken the time to come here to reconnect with a part of her past that she'd thought she'd lost. While she and her sisters might have changed and grown up, they were still bound together by their shared experiences from the past. She was glad that her sisters were seemingly going to get to experience some of the happiness that seemed to be blossoming everywhere even in these chaotic times.

"So did you guys work out all the details while you were...talking?" Chu Qiao asked innocently.

The Xiulis goggled at her in mild panic and stammered some incomprehensible gibberish.

"I'm just asking because you spent so much time...talking that I assumed that you'd gotten everything settled."

"Um...well...that is...Chu Da Ren...we..."

"Have you decided where you want to live? When you want to get married? How many children you want to have?"

"Actually, we want to stay in Yanbei," one of them bravely said. "They said they didn't want to go back to a place with such bad memories, and that they wanted to live in a place where nobody knew they used to be slaves."

"So you guys actually did do a bit of talking in there," she said in amusement. "I'm impressed."

"Chu Da Ren..."

"Am I really that intimidating?" she asked her Xiulis. "I'm not mad at either of you, and I'm not in any position to lecture anyone about being open and honest about their emotions."

"Actually, Chu Da Ren, you are that intimidating."

"Yeah, you are. I mean, these are your sisters we're talking about."

"I notice that neither of you is willing to talk about my emotions."

"Um..."

"I know that both of you were on duty when Yuwen Yue came to visit me in the...morning when he...sat beside my bed and...talked to me."

"Right," they both said at the same time.

"There was lots of...talking...and...sitting."

"It was definitely morning."

Chu Qiao smiled in affection at these two loyal friends.

"I'm glad that I'll be able to leave my sisters in such capable, trustworthy hands...so to speak."

The Xiulis blushed again, and Chu Qiao grinned in contentment. She didn't stop smiling even as she approached the lower camp—and the man she loved, who was waiting, as always, in just the right place to intercept her. Chu Qiao dismounted her horse and beamed up at the man she loved, contentment and joy radiating from her expression.

"What could've possibly happened to put that look on your face, Xing'er?"

"Apparently, these two fell in love with my sisters but didn't have the guts to tell me, the cowards."

"Ah, yes, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said. "You certainly are the expert at boldly proclaiming your romantic feelings."

Chu Qiao scowled at her beloved fiercely. Her Xiulis both made excuses about how they were already late for patrol and how they needed to leave right away to attend to their duties.

"I'll boldly proclaim how annoying and arrogant you are, Yuwen Yue," she muttered.

What was that, Xing'er?" her fiance asked.

"Oh, nothing, Yuwen Yue," Chu Qiao said with fake enthusiasm. "I'm simply so happy that I was talking to myself about my feelings."

Yuwen Yue looked at her skeptically. An idea for vengeance presented itself to her, and Chu Qiao pounced on it gleefully. She shaped her face into a sultry expression and slowly walked towards Yuwen Yue, delighting in the confusion she saw in his eyes even though his facial expression didn't change.

"I can boldly tell you that I'm in love with you, Yuwen Yue," Chu Qiao said just loud enough for her beloved to hear.

"I can boldly tell you that I can't wait to marry you, Yuwen Yue."

He took a step towards her, his eyes darkening.

"I can boldly tell you that I can't wait to become your wife in every way, Yuwen Yue," she whispered, gazing up at him with desire in her eyes. "Was that bold enough for you, Yuwen Yue?"

Right on time, a patrol of soldiers rounded the corner and came into view. Yuwen Yue withdrew the arms that he'd stretched out in her direction, frustration in his gaze.

"Oh, well, I guess I should be going," Chu Qiao said, eyes wide with fake innocence. "After all, we wouldn't want the soldiers to get the wrong idea, now, would we?"

She whirled around and walked away without a backward glance, smirking with satisfaction at her victory and eagerly anticipating his inevitable vengeance.

 _I could definitely get used to this level of boldness,_ she thought with contentment as she headed for her tent.

* * *

AN: There's only one more regular chapter to go before the posting of the epilogue. Next week: Chu Qiao makes her peace with Xiang; the other ships are resolved. Two weeks out: Wedding night double-shot epilogue.

Translation/fanfic: Angel Chua continues to add chapters to "Secret Princess" at princessagents dot wordpress dot com.

Musical recommendations: This chapter features multiple people choosing to live life as they see fit rather than according to the desires of others, so "Live Like a Warrior" by Passenger works well here. I don't care for his voice, so I prefer to listen to the Helenamaria cover instead. For our favorite stubborn prince, BBMak's "Still on Your Side" works well for his attitude towards the people he has to "rescue." Poor Yuwen Yue gets Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell" dedicated to him, although his little rebel has left him to go play with his sword at the practice field instead of doing what he'd rather be doing;). If you like rock covers, Dope has a good one (as do the Black Veil Brides, but be advised that they substitute the line, "But when I'm tired and lonely, she sees me to bed," with a NSFW replacement).


	18. Chapter 18

AN: I haven't proofed this as much as I'd like; in fact, I only finished writing it yesterday. But it's Christmastime and I've been busy, so we'll just have to make do with this, right? I hope you enjoy the wrapping up of the final loose ends; thank you for walking this different path with me this far.

* * *

Chu Qiao walked along the ramparts of Hongchuan, her feet taking her on an identical route to the one she'd taken that day when she'd crafted her basic plan for leaving Yan Xun and saving Yanbei. The path was the same, but both she and her circumstances were vastly different. The troubled, desperate woman who'd been striding along the ramparts that day never could've imagined the consequences her plan would have not only for herself but for her friends as well.

 _Tomorrow, I'll watch two unlikely friends get married,_ she reflected. _I've mended my relationship with Yuan Song and have formed a close friendship with his fiance, who once almost killed me. And then...then I'll go back to Qing Shan Yuan and marry Yuwen Yue, becoming the lady of the house in which I was once a slave and the wife of the man who was once my master._

The soldiers standing guard on the ramparts all saluted her respectfully as she passed; she gave them all nods of recognition and smiles. Seeing them reminded her of the fact that Prince Xiang had personally given He Xiao of all people permission to return to Wei with enough men—and Xia Chong, of course-to form a personal honor guard for her.

 _That's not a friendship I ever expected to see form, either,_ she mused, mentally chuckling at the unlikelihood of her fiery, blunt commander and the cunning, manipulative prince coming to understand one another. _They could be good for each other, though—if Prince Xiang is still willing to give him the time of day after he becomes emperor._

Prince Xiang's news about the emperor's impending death had blown up all of their plans like the flaming payload from a catapult, accelerated everyone's timetables significantly, and resulted in the beginning of the dismantlement of the camp at the base of Xiuli Mountain. The higher-ups had all moved into the city, and she had reluctantly reclaimed her palace room at Yuan Song's invitation.

While Yuan Song had been saddened by the news of his father's decline, he had been elated at the prospect of getting to marry Meng Feng so quickly. Zhong Yu had not been as excited, however, since she and Mister Wu had elected to postpone their own wedding due to the circumstances.

 _Given who Mister Wu is, the odds of all of Yanbei not wanting to celebrate our marriage are slim, A'Chu,_ she'd said. _Installing Yuan Song and Meng Feng as rulers of Yanbei has always been paramount, and we don't want to take away from their moment. We've elected to wait until after the emperor has been mourned so that we can all get together again and celebrate after such a trying time._

Chu Qiao had hugged her old friend and assured her that she and Yuwen Yue would do their best to come back to Yanbei for her wedding. Zhong Yu told Chu Qiao that, officially, she and Mister Wu would be staying in Yanbei to make sure that no power grabs happened while Yuan Song and Meng Feng were in Wei attending Chu Qiao and Yuwen Yue's wedding. Unofficially, however, both anticipated having to attend to "pressing business" a few days before the wedding that would give them the cover to travel swiftly on their own.

 _Everything's coming together,_ Chu Qiao thought as she rounded the last corner before she'd reach the place where she and Zhong Yu had had their conversation what seemed like a lifetime ago.

Just like before, there was a figure standing in almost exactly the same spot of the ramparts, but this person was significantly taller and bulkier than the petite pugilist. Chu Qiao internally winced, but she knew that this conversation had to happen sooner or later, and she'd never been one to put off difficult, unwanted discussions.

 _Unless they were with Yuwen Yue,_ she admitted. _I always tried to ignore and push my feelings for him to the side no matter how much damage—both inside and out—resulted._

Chu Qiao knew that failing to address Prince Xiang could cause damage to herself and her husband-to-be, so she squared her shoulders and her jaw and charged to the ramparts of Hongchuan once more to do battle. She strode confidently to the edge of the ramparts and stopped beside the prince, looking down at the bustle below much as she'd done that day with Zhong Yu. Instead of grimly-marching soldiers, however, the streets were full of happy citizens and servants who were busily erecting red ribbons, lanterns, bunting, and bows all along the processional route for the royal wedding.

She couldn't help but smile at the enthusiasm with which the town had embraced the young prince and his fiance, many of them obviously remembering the passionate speech he'd given and having heard tales of their bravery during the Battle of Xiuli Mountain. Yuan Song and Meng Feng had also endeared themselves to the common people by walking around the city and stopping to talk with many while eating at local restaurants and shopping at the market.

"Waiting for me to make the first mistake again?" Prince Xiang asked. "Did Yuwen Yue teach you that?"

"Yuwen Yue taught me—or, at least, he tried to teach me—to evaluate the big picture before making any little moves," she replied. "I didn't see any benefits to starting the conversation, so I figured that I'd let you go first out of courtesy."

"I know how important courtesy is to you, Chu Qiao."

"Of course it's important," Chu Qiao said. "I know from experience that ignoring nobles often causes more trouble than acknowledging them, and I didn't want to anger you unnecessarily."

"So you feel that your little scene last week was necessary, I take it?"

" _My_ little scene?" Chu Qiao asked, giving Xiang her best faux-innocent look. "If memory serves me correctly, _you_ were the one who set _me_ up for that little scene. _I_ was content to talk about Yanbei culinary delicacies and that time that Yuwen Yue used his Ice Martial Arts abilities to explode Yue Qi's wine in his face. _You_ were the one who tried to trap me with a big lie at the expense of your brother—but selling out family is what you Wei royals do the best, so I shouldn't be surprised."

"That's not what-"

"And, yes," Chu Qiao said, speaking over the prince, "my actions were necessary—not only for my own happiness, but also for the happiness of the man I love as well as for two close friends. Besides, Yuwen Yue and I both knew that you were going to make a move against us anyway, so trying to avoid the confrontation would've been pointless."

Prince Xiang's hands clenched on the top of the ramparts in front of them, and Chu Qiao held her tongue, knowing that she'd already come close to breaking the promise she'd made to herself days ago to try to make peace with the future emperor of Wei. Her temper had once again gotten the best of her, and she resolved to do better at keeping it in check—for the sake of the man she loved if nothing else.

"Arguing about the past would be equally pointless," Xiang eventually said. "Now we have to move forward and take care of more important affairs."

"That we do," Chu Qiao agreed, not feeling the need to keep verbally besting the man when she'd already done so in such spectacular fashion.

"Speaking of which, I've been trying to come up with the best way to present some of the events of the past month for the people back home—especially the officials."

"I see," Chu Qiao said, her lips twitching.

"Trying to explain the truth of what happened to those men will likely prove to be a bit difficult."

"The truth can be inconvenient at times."

"Mm. I've been doing some thinking, and I believe that I've finally figured out a plausible rendering of events that will present everyone in the best light."

"Don't people already know what happened?"

"To an extent," Xiang admitted. "Most people already know at least part of what occurred a month ago, but they don't know all of the details because those of us in charge here have deliberately kept the specifics vague until we could come up with a suitable explanation for them."

Chu Qiao waited in silence, figuring that, as much as Xiang loved to hear himself talk, he'd lay out his master plan before her soon enough.

"First, Yuwen Yue concocted the entire rebellion and coup. He's our master spymaster, our greatest planner. Nobody else comes close to matching his ability to craft successful long-term plans, and this scheme was the best he's ever made."

Xiang paused, and Chu Qiao realized he expected her to say something.

"Okay," she replied. "I'm with you so far."

"You are?"

"Did you really expect for me to disagree with your positive characterization of my fiance?"

"No, but I did expect you to object to him getting the credit for your hard work."

"I've never cared about who gets the credit for the things I do," Chu Qiao said. "What I did, I did for the good of my people. Besides, considering that none of us felt capable of doing anything against Yan Xun himself, Yuwen Yue's determination to do so would've saved the plan anyway."

Xiang's eyes widened in startlement.

"So you acknowledge that assassinating Yan Xun was necessary?"

"Of course," Chu Qiao replied instantly. "We all knew it, but none of us could bring ourselves to do what was necessary. Only Yuwen Yue..."

Chu Qiao trailed off, her mind taking her back to that terrible night that had ended so differently from how it had begun. She could see Yuwen Yue finally reaching his breaking point, her realizing that fact, and making one of those snap decisions that had profoundly shaped her life.

"I'm glad that he didn't have to kill Yan Xun," Chu Qiao said softly.

"I'm not," Xiang said, scowling. "I wish he had."

Chu Qiao's face grew cold, but then she realized where this sentiment was likely coming from.

"Killing Yan Xun would've left deep scars on Yuwen Yue," Chu Qiao said flatly. "He once considered Yan Xun to be his brother; we both did, in all honesty. I know how much you value Yuwen Yue's friendship, so imagine how you would feel if, one day, he were to become your enemy and you decided that you had to kill him. How would you handle that situation?"

"I would do what I had to do," Xiang said woodenly.

"Of course you would—but at what cost?"

Prince Xiang's jaw worked fiercely, and Chu Qiao figured she'd made her point.

"You never knew Yan Xun before the royals and nobles of Wei murdered him on Jiuyou Platform," she said. "Yuwen Yue and I did. I know that Yuwen Yue often comes across as being invincible physically and emotionally, but he's not."

"How long did it take you to realize that?" Xiang asked bitterly.

"Far too long," Chu Qiao acknowledged. "And by time I did..."

"You were just in time to fall in love with him and help him to carry out his master plan because of your feelings for him."

"What?!" Chu Qiao blurted. "I did no..such..."

"I see you take my meaning," Xiang said as she trailed off, a sour but accepting look forming on her face.

"I do—but I don't have to like it."

"But you see the sense in it."

"Sadly, yes. I told Meng Feng a week or so ago that most people assumed that I stayed with Yan Xun due to having fallen in love with him because that line of reasoning comforted them. I would assume that the Wei officials would also find the idea that I betrayed Yan Xun because I fell in love with Yuwen Yue equally comforting. And, of course, the less threatening I appear to them, the better off my people will be."

"I have to admit that I find your indignation at this particular lie amusing considering how eagerly you embraced the first one."

"The first lie makes my future husband look good. This lie makes me look like a love-struck idiot."

"But a non-threatening love-struck idiot," he reminded her. "Besides, are you really going to pretend that you didn't concoct this plan in order to get closer to Yuwen Yue?"

"I didn't concoct this plan in order to get closer to Yuwen Yue," Chu Qiao said flatly. "I guess I should be glad that you've at least acknowledged that I'm in love with him, though."

"So you really didn't…?"

"I really didn't," she affirmed. "I won't pretend that I didn't think about Yuwen Yue at all while I was making my plan, because I did. After all, I knew that, if my plan were to succeed, at least we would no longer be on different sides. I figured that, perhaps in time, we could at least mend our relationship and be friends. But, no, I did what I did because I decided that doing so was best for my people and the common people."

"So...you were a love-struck idiot," Xiang said after a few moments.

"Yes," Chu Qiao affirmed, a corner of her mouth turning up. "I was a love-struck idiot."

"A love-struck idiot who brought in her other two friends because they wanted to back a regime that would allow them to love—and rule—in Yanbei."

"That's actually pretty close to the truth—except the ruling part," Chu Qiao admitted. "They were both just going to leave, but they eventually agreed to fight because they didn't want to leave their homeland. They weren't overtly seeking leadership roles, although I'm not going to pretend that they didn't figure on being offered them if our plan succeeded."

"The plan was, of course, for you guys to assassinate the top leadership of Yanbei that was unsympathetic to your position and to replace them with Yuan Song and other such suitable leaders. This scheme unfolded just as you planned-"

"Of course it did," Chu Qiao said drolly.

"-and even allowed for my sister to get her vengeance."

"So how, exactly, do you plan to spin Chun'er's involvement?"

Xiang sighed heavily.

"When I said I wished that Yuwen Yue had killed Yan Xun, I really meant to say that I wish that Chun'er hadn't involved herself in the situation. I'd already told the people of Wei that she'd jumped in the river and drowned, yet her presence here is common knowledge. People don't survive falling in rivers every day, after all, so would people believe me if I told them that's what happened?"

Chu Qiao looked at Xiang and raised both eyebrows meaningfully.

"Ah," he said sheepishly, "I suppose you're right. After all, if you can survive falling into a river..."

"Honestly, Your Highness, I think you should just say that Chun'er survived her fall into the river, came to Yanbei, got vengeance on behalf of Wei, and died at peace. If people start asking too many questions, you can just talk about some of the even more outrageous parts of this plan."

"Like the fact that Yuwen Yue deliberately got caught in the palace, got in a fight with those guards to make sure that the people in the city saw him there, and then jumped off of the ramparts and flew to you just as you'd planned?"

Chu Qiao goggled at Xiang, the corners of her mouth turning up against her will.

"That's a high-quality lie worthy of the royal family of Wei," she said, her smile widening.

"Thank you, Chu Qiao," Xiang said, his own lips twitching. "I thought so, too. You see, you guys knew that the remaining powers of Yanbei would assume that you would ride for Xiuli Mountain to be with your troops. Yuwen Yue made sure that the guards saw him leaving with you in that direction as well; he also knew that Yanbei's leadership would assume that he would fight with you to the end."

She smiled sadly at Xiang, acknowledging that bit of truth.

"Your goal—yours and Yuwen Yue's—was to draw the soldiers to a site far enough away from the innocent that no civilians would be harmed in the battle. Meanwhile, your Xiulis were furiously forming battlements and readying the mountain for war—and were able to hold off the bulk of Yanbei's troops with just a little over a hundred men. Extraordinary."

"That part needs no embellishment," Chu Qiao said, her face showing both pride and sorrow. "My men did everything I asked of them and more."

"They had a bit of help—including, of course, my little brother and his most excellent fiance, who marched an entire legion of Yanbei soldiers to the base of Xiuli Mountain to bushwhack the enemy soldiers from behind as planned," Xiang said.

"And the Underworld was our secret weapon?"

Xiang winced.

"Do you think Phoenix will go along with this ridiculous story?"

"She will if I tell her to," Chu Qiao said. "Besides, we are working on forming an alliance between the Underworld and the Eyes of God, so you could just be honest and say that the Underworld came to Xiuli Mountain to help me."

The Prince was silent for a few moments, apparently lost in thought as he stared down at the decorators far below. The processional route was taking shape, and the city folk seemed proud of their contribution to the festivities.

"Are you really willing to sign on to that load of manure?" he finally asked.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Well, I've already told you some of my specific reasons, and I guess I could list them out again," Chu Qiao said after deliberating. "Instead, I'll simply say that I understand that this story will benefit me and my people while protecting Yuwen Yue from the criticism that could be leveled at him by some of our enemies were the full truth to be known."

Xiang raised an eyebrow at her.

"I may not be good at seeing the big picture, but that doesn't mean that I can only see the details, either. I know that our enemies could claim that Yuwen Yue was the love-struck idiot who risked the interests of Wei for the woman he loves—the woman who could turn on Wei at any moment. These same people could also oppose my marriage to Yuwen Yue, but they would have less to object to if I become the love-struck idiot who turned on one lover for another than if they knew the truth."

The prince looked at her respectfully.

"I see that you understand some of what I was trying to do."

Chu Qiao gazed at him solemnly, mentally weighing her next words.

"I also understand that once your father...joins his ancestors, you're going to need Yuwen Yue's help in the following days—and weeks and years, honestly. Our enemies will come for us all, and you can't allow Yuwen Yue's reputation to be damaged by anything that happened here."

"You're right," Xiang said. "I can't let that happen. I won't."

"Don't think that I don't know that the only reason I was able to best you so easily last week was because you were so focused on protecting him that you yourself missed the big picture," Chu Qiao said.

Xiang shifted awkwardly and looked back down at the townspeople, suddenly finding their actions riveting. Chu Qiao was reminded of her own beloved's fascination with cave walls in times of awkwardness, so she allowed a small smile to form on her lips.

"There are very few people I can rely on to do their best to keep the man I love safe at all costs," she said. "When I find someone like that, I do everything I can to keep that connection open—including signing off on big piles of manure. You and I would do anything to keep him safe, and I won't do anything that could change that—including making trouble in Wei. As long as you rule with justice and wisdom, my men and I will be willing to fight and die for you if necessary."

The prince's face bore a thunderstruck expression, so Chu Qiao turned her own gaze to the action below in order to give him time to regain his composure. She was glad that she'd been able to master her temper and to make peace with this man who was so important to her husband-to-be.

 _I would do anything to keep him safe—even make peace with this frustrating, manipulative, but ultimately good man._

"I take it that Yuwen Yue has already endorsed this plan?" she said, knowing full well the opposite was true but wanting to do her part to make peace between all of them.

"Um...well...that is…not exactly," Xiang admitted. "I wanted to ask you first."

"Are you sure that's the real reason?"

"Of course it's not," Xiang said, sighing. "I haven't talked to him in a week."

"I probably should let you stew a bit longer, but we really don't have time for such foolishness given everything that's going on—and everything that's at stake. While my recollections of Yuwen Yue's exact words are a bit blurry because I was...distracted at the time, I do remember that he basically said that the two of you would have an awkward conversation and move on with your lives. I recommend that you do so quickly so that we can focus on the important things."

Xiang had averted his gaze after Chu Qiao's admission of being distracted and had not returned it to her since. This suited her perfectly since she knew that she was blushing as she recalled exactly why she'd been so distracted at the time when Yuwen Yue had been talking to her—and doing other things.

 _Part of me still can't believe that I've become the kind of woman who would do such things—and who would allow a man to do such things to her._

"I suppose I should take my leave of you since you've planned the next part of my day for me," Xiang said, giving her a small smile. "What are you going to do next?"

"Well, Your Highness, I think I'll go down there and help Meng Feng to scout the parade route for security flaws," Chu Qiao said, grinning at the image presented by the woman standing far below her on the streets of the city.

The former assassin was striding along the processional route, the professionalism and alertness easily discernible from their position on the ramparts although her facial features were not. Meng Feng's seriousness brought a grudgingly affectionate expression to Xiang's face which broadened at the sight of his brother joining his future bride on their tour. They could tell from the set of his shoulders and the angle of his head that he had likely pasted an overly-serious expression on his face and was pretending to agree with every suggestion his future bride was making. She eventually caught on, and her affection tinged with frustration was obvious even to the viewers above.

"He found a good one, didn't he?" Xiang asked, pride in his voice.

"That he did, Your Highness," Chu Qiao acknowledged. "I wish I were going to get the chance to know her better, but..."

"But you have your own wedding to look forward to."

Chu Qiao simply nodded, her own obvious happiness breaking through for a moment. She didn't mind, though, because she wanted the prince to see how happy the thought of marrying her beloved made her. They exchanged a few pleasantries; Chu Qiao wished him luck.

"And if all else fails," she said as she took a final look at the streets below, "just start telling him about how his great escape from the walls of Hongchuan was all part of our grand and glorious plan. You might even get a grin out of him if you tell your story right."

Xiang shook his head at her and walked away, and she once again allowed her feet to take her into her future.

* * *

"I'm sorry to have to miss your wedding tomorrow, Your Highness, but something immensely important has come up at home and I must depart immediately," Xiao Ce said to Yuan Song and Meng Feng.

They were standing in the throne room, and Xiao Ce could tell that neither the new prince nor the future princess of Yanbei was comfortable there yet. His news would likely make them even more uncomfortable; he was glad that he'd already shared it with all other necessary parties so that he could set off for home as soon as he was done here.

 _And as soon as I meet with my new friend who passed on such interesting information to me,_ he mused.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Your Highness," Yuan Song said, sounding like he actually meant what he was saying.

Meng Feng echoed his sentiments, also seeming to genuinely regret the prospect of his absence.

 _I'm not used to people actually wanting me around,_ he thought. _I'm not sure how I feel about it, honestly._

"Thank you, Miss Feng, Your Highness," Xiao Ce said. "I didn't just stop by here to apologize for my absence and wish you good fortune on your upcoming lives together. I wanted to tell you that I received an anonymous letter advising me that a couple of...distinguished personages had shown up in Liang recently and that one of them is asking for me—a man with a rather fabulous beard, apparently."

Yuan Song stared at him blankly, so Xiao Ce assumed that Xiang hadn't given a physical description of his former adviser to his brother.

"He's the man who advised your brother to attack Yanbei."

Yuan Song's face hardened.

"I see that you can understand why I wouldn't want to let such a...persuasive individual run about my homeland unimpeded. We don't need his kind of mischief—and my half-brother definitely doesn't need to be exposed to such a bad influence. Looking out for my half-brother is my duty, after all; he's family."

"What about the other man?" Meng Feng asked. "You said earlier that there were two men who had shown up in Liang."

"So I did, Miss Feng," Xiao Ce replied. "Now that you mention it, the other man will likely be of interest to you both as well. His name is Zhan Ziyu, but you might know him as the former head of the Afterlife Camp."

Meng Feng's eyes widened, and Xiao Ce mentally congratulated himself on guessing correctly. Yuan Song's features hardened even more than they had when he'd been talking about Dong Fang Ji, and his eyes went cold as ice. Suddenly, Xiao Ce saw of flash of the leader that Yuan Song could be, and his respect for the man rose a few notches.

"Is he the one?" the new ruler of Yanbei flatly asked his bride-to-be. "The one with the pills who made you…?"

The ex-assassin nodded, and the prince's jaws clenched.

"I assume that you're going back to Liang to...take care of the situation," Yuan Song said calmly, obviously seething inside.

"He sent an assassin after Miss Chong and Qiao Qiao," Xiao Ce said, deciding to be straightforward with the prince. "I can't allow that to happen again."

Yuan Song nodded in understanding and approval.

"I know that you have resources, but if you need anything, anything at all..."

"I'll keep your generous offer in mind, Your Highness."

"Please do," Yuan Song said, inclining his head. "Tomorrow, Meng Feng will become my wife, and I won't have that man threatening our future together if he decides one day to get back at the woman who helped lead Yuwen Yue to him."

"Neither will I," Xiao Ce said, flashing a grin at them. "That would be bad for business, after all—for all of us. I think this world would be better off without those two in it making trouble. Meng Feng, Yuan Song, I wish you the best in your life together. I will, of course, send you a wedding gift at a later time."

They protested that a wedding gift wasn't necessary, but he waved them off, inwardly smirking as he imagined the looks on their faces when they opened up the large box full of lip balm tubs.

 _And maybe even a few extra goodies if I'm in the mood to send them..._

"Good luck on your mission, Your Highness," Yuan Song said, clasping his hands and bowing. "Remember..."

"If I need anything, I'll contact you," Xiao Ce promised, inclining his head respectfully. "I shall leave first."

He took his leave and left the palace, his mind already turning to the puzzle of the identity of his anonymous correspondent and what said person wanted with him. Xiao Ce knew that pursuing this lead was risky, but not meeting with a person who clearly knew so much about him could ultimately be the more dangerous proposition.

The ride to Xiuli Mountain was only a couple of hours, and Xiao Ce amused himself for a time envisioning the interactions between Qiao Qiao and Yuwen Yue as they fled for their lives.

 _And argued,_ Xiao Ce thought, grinning. _And glared. And wanted…_

Eventually, his fanciful musings gave way to more serious ones about what he would face once he returned home. He was confident that he could deal with those two troublemakers and his half-witted half-brother, but his father...Xiao Ce knew that he was going to have to do some fancy talking in order to conceal the true motivations behind his actions here.

 _Actually, Father, I've fallen in love with a woman who's in love with another man and who views me as nothing more than an amusement. In spite of this woman's lack of interest in me, I sent a former Afterlife Camp assassin into Yanbei to watch over her and to spy on my sister. The results were almost disastrous for us, and I would've borne some culpability for the negative results._

Xiao Ce shook his head in amusement, knowing himself to be up to the challenge of spinning a web of charming lies and half-truths for his father. Besides, Xiao Yu's actions had been so egregiously damaging to Liang's prospects that his were bound to look good by comparison.

 _Actually, Father, I suspected that my dearest sister might try something like this. I sensed an edge to her the last time we met, and I felt that she might start taking greater and greater risks that could lead us into disaster. So I took a relatively small risk of my own and sent an experienced, talented operative into Yanbei. This risk was vindicated when this operative managed to keep my sister from openly leading an army of Wei's enemies to victory over Wei's people and allies. I also managed to form alliances with the most powerful leaders of both Wei and Yanbei as a result of this operative's actions—and my own innate charm, of course._

The crown prince knew that his father was as cunning and canny as he himself was, but he felt reasonably confident in his ability to sway his father to his position—and to maintain his own position as Crown Prince of Liang.

Not wanting to alert the remaining Wei troops at the base of Xiuli Mountain to his presence, Xiao Ce tied his horse up a decent distance from the base of Xiuli Mountain and easily snuck past their guards. Xiao Ce knew that the bulk of the troops had already departed for Wei, but many remained to provide an escort back to Wei for Xiang, Yuwen Yue, Yuan Song, and their entourages—and to stay in Yanbei and prevent trouble from occurring, of course.

Had he not known that he'd once camped in this particular spot, he wouldn't have been able to detect the location of his first Yanbei encampment. Fresh snowfall had completely covered all evidence of his presence, and the footprints he'd just made were the only ones that he could see. His anonymous correspondent had requested a meeting at this place, however, so Xiao Ce was curious as to how he or she had known about it.

The prince sharpened his senses to the best of his abilities and tried to detect the presence of anyone or anything out of place, but to no avail. As far as he could tell, he'd been stood up by his mysterious correspondent—and had, perhaps, been made a fool of as well. Still, he knew from experience that a bit of patience could go a long way, so he boldly stepped out into the clearing and stood there for a few minutes.

Just as he was about to leave, a female voice said from above, "So you came after all, Crown Prince Xiao Ce. I'm somewhat surprised. How did you know you weren't walking into a trap."

"I didn't, Miss," Xiao Ce said in his most charming voice, giving a debonair smile to thin air. "But I figured that the contents of your letter were worth an expression of appreciation; I also wanted to find out what you want, of course."

"What I want?" the voice said. "What I—what we—want is simple: vengeance."

A lithe, feminine form dropped out of a tree not far from where Xiao Ce was standing, landing almost soundlessly in the snow in a manner that matched the descriptions he'd heard from various survivors of the Battle of Xiuli Mountain. Her bearing reminded him of Phoenix, except that this woman was obviously younger—and much prettier. The prince knew better than to let the woman's attractiveness fool him, however; if he'd guessed her affiliation correctly, she was a fearsome warrior worthy of his respect.

"Hopefully you don't want vengeance on me, Miss?" he asked, eyes widening in question.

"No, we want vengeance on Zhan Ziyu," she said, practically hissing his name. "He's the one who murdered our leader and framed her daughter."

A chill went down Xiao Ce's spine as the woman's identity was confirmed.

"I see. So you're from the Underworld, I take it."

"Yes. In fact, I was driving Chu Qiao's carriage when she fled the prison after failing to rescue her mother. Yin Xin sliced me with his fan, and I would've died had Mister Wu not nursed me back to health. Once I was well enough to go back into the field, I devoted myself to discovering the identity of Luo He's killer and bringing him—or her—to justice."

"I suppose Phoenix told you what Qiao Qiao and Miss Chong discovered together?"

"Of course. Once I knew this man's identity, tracking him down wasn't too difficult for someone with my sources and connections. One of my contacts told me that he'd shown up in Liang with another person of interest, so I went to verify the report in person."

"I take it you were successful."

"They were both there, ostensibly awaiting your return," Viper confirmed. "The mustached man seemed to be getting quite friendly with your half-brother from what I understand."

Xiao Ce's face darkened at the confirmation of his concerns.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention. What exactly do you want from me?"

"I want you to either take care of the situation yourself or allow me to do so," she said.

Xiao Ce blinked at her.

"While the Underworld is typically answerable to no one, Phoenix told us of our leader's friendship with you," Viper explained. "Normally we would've just snuck in, killed them both, and snuck out, hopefully not getting caught in the process, but given your relationship with Chu Qiao, we decided that we didn't want to cause a potential diplomatic incident needlessly."

"I see," Xiao Ce said, pondering this unexpected change to his plans. "I'll have to think about this more on the way back to Liang."

"I thought you might say so, Your Highness," Viper said, inclining her head. "If you wish, I can accompany you back to Liang and tell you what I know."

Xiao Ce looked at Viper again, unable to keep from noting her strength and beauty. He almost instinctively gave her the roguish grin that had become second nature to him, but something about her bearing caused him to settle for a gracious nod instead. The prince masked his confusion about his actions sufficiently, giving a response that was flirtatious enough to keep Viper from becoming suspicious of his recent lapse.

"That's an offer I simply cannot refuse, Miss," he said.

"Please, call me Viper," she said, scowling at the title of "miss."

"Miss Viper, it would be a pleasure."

She gave him a droll look and shook her head at him, turning around and walking away without a backward glance. Xiao Ce followed her with a large grin on his face, feeling that the future was looking bright after all.

* * *

Meng Feng awoke to the alien sensation of resting on top of a living, breathing body. Momentary confusion overtook her as her memories took her back to a particular Afterlife Camp Nirvana that had almost ended in disaster for her. That time, she'd also come to in her underrobes atop a man's body, but that man had been a hated enemy who'd tried to break her before killing her and had failed on both counts. She still had the scars from that encounter, but she'd survived and had truly put the past behind her.

The surface beneath her rose and fell regularly, and it smelled like her beloved. Her new husband seemed to be resting soundly, and she was loathe to wake him—especially considering how hard he'd worked last night. Meng Feng smiled as she remembered the previous night's activities. There had, of course, been a few obstacles, but they'd overcome them together just as they'd been doing since they'd met.

She almost giggled as she remembered how brightly her husband had blushed when he'd admitted that some of his men had taken him aside and proceeded to...educate him in an area in which they'd assumed his knowledge might be lacking. Their advice had been most helpful, and she was determined to do something nice for Yuan Song's men in return.

Her living mattress stirred beneath her, and the arm wrapped around her back tightened slightly. She looked up at her new husband as he opened his eyes, smiling softly when she saw the same confusion in them that she herself had felt upon waking up in bed with someone else. Hopefully he had no bad memories to confuse him like she did; she vowed to do her best to replace all of her husband's bad memories with wonderful ones.

Yuan Song's gaze cleared, and he grinned wholeheartedly down at her.

"Good morning, Wife," he mumbled sleepily, his grin stretching almost impossibly far across his face.

"Good morning, Husband," she said back to him, smiling widely herself.

His arm tightened around her back in a squeezing hug; she returned the favor with a tight hug of her own.

"I'm really going to have to do something nice for your men," she couldn't help but say.

Her new husband predictably blushed bright red.

"They're just a bunch of troublemakers," he muttered good-naturedly.

"I think they're sweet," she disagreed.

"Would you still call them 'sweet' if I told you that their initial plan was to take me to a brothel so that I could receive my 'education' there?"

Meng Feng instinctively scowled, but her frown was replaced by a small smile as she thought things over.

"While I, of course, wouldn't have approved of that plan, I grew up in a camp full of men and know how they think and act. To them, such a thing would be perfectly logical and natural, and I know they meant no disrespect to you or me by suggesting it. Besides, I know my man well enough to know that he would never have gone along with such a plan anyway."

"Don't worry, Wife," he said, holding her close, "I made sure that they all understood that you were the only woman for me."

Meng Feng beamed at her husband and tilted her head up, kissing the underside of his jaw. He lowered his head slightly and kissed her back on the lips, and she lost track of time for a few moments.

"They got back at me for my unwillingness to cooperate with their first plan, though," he said after he'd broken the kiss. "Once they realized that I wasn't going to go to a brothel for my education, they resorted to...vivid descriptions and...detailed pictures."

Meng Feng dissolved into giggles, her head thumping back down on her husband's chest as she shook with laughter. She didn't even have to look up at her beloved to know that he was blushing again. He was so easy to tease and torment that she often couldn't resist the opportunity to do so.

"Well, Husband, that experience could've been even more awkward, you know."

"How so?" he asked.

"You could've been receiving advice from Prince Xiang instead."

She looked up at the man she loved and dissolved into giggles again as she took in the look of genuine horror on his face. Yuan Song started laughing as well, and their mirth filled her room—their room—with a warm coziness that helped to push back that Yanbei chill to which neither of them had yet adjusted. Meng Feng knew that she'd never been this happy, and she couldn't remember a time when she'd laughed so much.

 _He and I gave that laughter back to each other,_ she acknowledged, reveling in the happiness and love surrounding her.

Her stomach rumbled, and his responded as if hers had called to it. Now she was the one who was blushing as her husband laughed down at her.

"What are you looking at, Husband?" she asked sternly, barely able to keep her lips from twitching. "After all, I worked up such a large appetite because of you."

His blush returned and she smiled in contentment, having conquered the field once again.

"Since you made me so hungry, I should probably go to the kitchen and get us some leftovers," she said. "After all, there's no way that everyone ate all of that food from the wedding feast, and I would hate for it to go to waste."

"Every other princess would leave such an activity to the servants," he said, smiling indulgently at her.

"Not this princess."

"You don't have to hide the truth from me, Wife," Yuan Song said, sighing dramatically. "I know the real reason you want to 'go to the kitchens' is to get away from me, right?"

Without warning, Meng Feng crawled up her husband's chest until her face was even with his. She smiled briefly at his widened eyes before she lowered her lips to his and demonstrated thoroughly how wrong his joking statement was. When she felt his hand begin to roam, she quickly rolled out of bed before she could get too distracted.

Yuan Song's murmured protest almost called her back into bed, but her rumbling stomach propelled her over to her dressing area. She realized with some trepidation that she hadn't even given a thought to what clothes she'd be wearing as a princess after she'd been measured by the clothiers. Images of restrictive, delicate robes with no storage space for weapons assailed her, but she squared her jaw and soldiered on, determined to wear whatever was necessary—at least for now.

The reality that presented her, however, was not the frilly clothing she'd feared. Instead, attractive yet functional robes met her eyes. While these robes were finer than any she'd ever worn, she could see elements of her traditional black robes in their design. Meng Feng could tell that she'd be able to move quickly or even fight in these if need be and that there would likely be places to stash a weapon or three built in to them.

"Are they okay?" Yuan Song said from right behind her, startling her. "Did I really just sneak up on you? Really?"

"Of course not," Meng Feng said, putting on a haughty expression. "I just let you think you snuck up on me to make you feel good about yourself."

"A likely story," Yuan Song said, frowning. "In fact, that seems like a serious lapse in security to me. I might have to replace you with someone else for my head of security."

"Like who?"

"Maybe I could convince A'Chu to be my head of security—or perhaps Miss Chong."

"Keep this up and you won't need a head of security anyway," she said, glaring at her husband with mock anger.

"Why not?"

"Because dead men don't need heads of security—or even heads."

"We haven't even been married a full day and you're already threatening me?"

"Well, technically, you threatened me first by talking about replacing me."

"Only as head of security," Yuan Song said, eyeing her suggestively. "You have thus far proven yourself to be an excellent wife."

"Keep talking like that and you'll have nothing but memories to keep you warm at night."

Yuan Song's face went serious as he stepped closer to her and reached out his hand to cup her chin.

"There's no one else I'll ever consider for my head of security—or my wife. That's why I talked to Yuwen Yue about the kinds of robes that A'Chu wears so that I could get you clothes that would be fitting for both a head of security and my wife. I didn't want you to feel like you have to pretend to be something you're not, and I want you to be comfortable while you're ruling Yanbei at my side."

Her husband bent his head and kissed her again, and she realized that she was once again in danger of not reaching the kitchens. Part of her could find nothing objectionable about going back to bed with her new husband, but her stomach chose that moment to rumble more loudly than it had done so far today. Yuan Song sighed in frustration as his own followed suit once again.

"Don't worry," Meng Feng said as she pulled out an elegant but functional dark blue robe and began to wrap it around herself. "I'll hurry back."

"I'll be waiting," Yuan Song said, kissing her once more for good measure after awkwardly helping her into her robes.

 _Something tells me he's already thinking about helping me out of them,_ she thought in amusement as she opened the doors to her room and stepped into the cool morning air beyond.

A bevy of servants instantly descended on her, all clamoring for her attention at once and telling her they were at her service. She told them that she wanted to go to the kitchen, and they told her they wouldn't hear of allowing the princess to demean herself in such a way. Meng Feng gave them one of her ex-assassin looks, however, and they were cowed in short order. A couple of them led the way to the cooking area while a large crowd of them went into the room to attend to her husband.

She indulgently allowed the servants to lead her to the kitchen even though she'd already memorized the entire layout of the palace grounds. After all, she'd been doing such things for years as an assassin, so those ill-gotten skills had served her well during her palace tour. Her plan had come together in her head, and she hoped that all of the pieces would fall into place quickly.

 _After all, I have somewhere more enjoyable to be,_ she thought, smiling for no apparent reason as the kitchen loomed before her.

Her appearance in front of the kitchen caused another flurry of panic as the maids and cooks were presented with the unexpected presence of their new princess. What looked to be their head cook stepped forward and asked if they had displeased the princess in some way.

"Not at all," Meng Feng said, smiling at her and the room at large. "In fact, you did such a great job yesterday that my husband and I wanted to enjoy the food all over again. I just wanted to get some leftovers for us to eat this morning."

Another cacophony of responses met her ears, some of which were readily assenting to her request and others that were saying that they would be delighted to cook the prince and princess some fresh breakfast food. Spotting Yuan Song's favorite pork dish as well as a couple of other mutual favorites, she decided to save those for themselves. As for the rest of her plan, Meng Feng was happy to note that there appeared to be enough leftover food to feed an army, which was exactly what she had in mind.

"Thank you for offering to cook fresh food, but with all of these leftovers, there's really no need. Yuan Song and I will take those dishes over there," she said, gesturing to them, "and the kitchen staff can finish off those dishes over there."

Meng Feng had noticed several of the younger girls eyeing those particular dishes longingly, so she'd decided to reward them for their hard work. Her pronouncement created another flurry of responses, but they all ended up thanking her for her generosity and accepting her gift even if it was unorthodox.

"What should we do with the rest of this food, Princess?" the head cook asked.

"What would you normally do with it?" Meng Feng asked out of curiosity.

"We've always thrown away whatever the royal family doesn't eat, Princess."

"Well, that's a tradition that's going to end," Meng Feng said. "We've just been through a costly war, after all, and food is going to be scarce for awhile. We'll come up with a better system for making the most out of what we have later."

The servants assured her that it would be done, that they hadn't meant to offend her, and other similar statements.

"We'll figure this out later," she said. "After all, we all have more important things to worry about for now. As for the rest of this mountain of food, send it all to the barracks of my husband's men courtesy of the princess. Make sure to tell them that this is my thanks for a job well-done—and to congratulate them on the completion of a successful mission."

After staring at her wide-eyed for a few moments, the somewhat confused servants assured her that her orders would be carried out. They sprang into action, some of them gathering the food she'd requested for her and Yuan Song and others beginning the process of transporting the other leftovers to the barracks. Meng Feng smiled as she imagined the looks on the men's faces when they received her gift—and heard her message.

 _I'm not just thanking them for the wedding night advice,_ she mused as she made her way back towards their room with a host of servants in front of and behind her. _These men have accepted my husband and taken him into their lives, and his confidence has grown significantly because of their loyalty and friendship. Giving them this food is the least I can do—even if they did try to take my husband to a brothel._

Meng Feng's steps sped up as she approached the doorway that led to their room, and she outstripped all but the harried-looking servants who hurried ahead of her to open the doors. She walked through them first, barely noticing the horde of servants that poured in behind her. Her husband turned around to face her as she walked in, and her eyes lit up just as his did when their gazes connected. He flashed her one of his silly grins, and she responded with a smile of her own.

She noticed that he was wearing dark blue robes that matched her own, and her heart swelled. They both made their way over to the small table for two that had already been readied for their breakfast by the servants and took their seats. Meng Feng's eyes filled with mischief as she told her new husband what she'd done for his men—and the message she'd sent with her gift.

"Really?" he asked, blushing. "Do you know how much they're going to tease me now?"

"Of course," Meng Feng said tranquilly. "That's just their way of showing affection."

"They have some strange ways of showing affection," he mumbled around a bite of pork before stammering in embarrassment that he hadn't meant that to come out the way it had sounded.

"I know some pretty good ways of showing affection, too," Meng Feng said, grinning. "I'll show you some of them once we're finished with the meal if you're interested."

She couldn't hold back her soft laughter as her husband's eyes widened comically and he began stuffing the food into his mouth at an exaggeratedly fast pace. He swallowed his food with a gulp and grinned at her, love visible in his eyes as she knew it was in hers.

 _In a few days, we'll leave for Wei so that we can face my husband's father and the upcoming chaos of Chu Qiao and Yuwen Yue's wedding. But for now…_

Her musings were cut off suddenly by the realization that she'd finished her meal and that her husband had, too. This fact had not escaped Yuan Song, who was gazing at her with a smoldering look that made his plans for the rest of the morning perfectly clear to her. As she slowly stood to her feet, she pushed all thoughts of the future from her mind. The upcoming trials would work themselves out in due time, but for now, she found herself unable to think of anything beyond her husband's morning itinerary, which seemed to perfectly match her own.

* * *

He Xiao walked around his boyhood home, wanting to reminisce about the past one last time before leaving for Wei. While he hadn't grown up in the lap of luxury, his father's skills at metal-working had assured that their family had always had enough food on the table and clothes to wear while he was growing up. Nobody would've mistaken them for Yanbei nobles, but they had not been destitute, either.

He'd been born here. He'd grown up here. He'd assumed he'd die here—until he'd joined the army, and then he'd assumed that he'd likely die on some battlefield somewhere. Instead, his father had been the one to die on an urban battlefield right outside the door and he himself was now faced with the prospect of going back to a place he hated in order to be with people he loved.

Part of He Xiao wondered what his future would've been like had he learned more about making swords instead of wielding them. Would he have settled down, married a woman who didn't get murdered because of his identity, and had a batch of children of his own? Would he have died in some random raid or at the hands of Wei? Would he have ever met Chu Da Ren—or Xia Chong?

The slightest rasp of shoe on wood alerted him to the presence of another person in this small, deserted place, and a smile lit up his face that seemed out-of-place in the dim desolation of his boyhood home. He Xiao recognized the tread—and the fact that the person coming into his home hadn't needed to make any noise at all but had only done so for his benefit.

His heart warmed at the consideration shown by the woman he hoped would one day agree to spend the rest of her life at his side. Xia Chong crept into the small room he was currently standing in and stopped beside him, looking down at the remnants of what had once been his bed. She said nothing and made no move to touch him, granting him comfort with her presence but also giving him the space to grieve if he wanted it.

He didn't want that space, so he reached out a hand and grasped her own within his. She sidled closer to him, bringing warmth to his side just as she'd done for his life as a whole. He Xiao thought about sharing some of his memories with his beloved, but he found himself desiring to close the door on the past and to think about the future instead.

"Now that we're actually preparing to leave, reality's finally hitting me," he found himself saying. "I'm actually going back to Wei, a place I've hated for so long and that I swore I'd never return to by choice."

"Are you really returning to Wei?" Xia Chong's low voice spoke to him out of the dimness. "Or are you going wherever Chu Qiao goes, which just happens to be Wei?"

"Mm," He Xiao grunted. "You might have a point there."

"For that matter," his beloved continued, "is Chu Qiao really going back to Wei, or is she going wherever Yuwen Yue goes, which just happens to be Wei?"

"That's possible as well," He Xiao said, pursing his lips. "Chu Da Ren has told me a few stories about her life as Young Master Yue's servant, but she doesn't like to talk about that part of her life much. Part of that reluctance likely comes from the...complicated relationship that she and Young Master Yue had during that time, but part of it could also stem from her dislike of Wei and, perhaps, Qing Shan Yuan, too."

"Yet she's still willing to go back to a place she hates just to be with the man she loves."

"I can understand that," He Xiao mused as his beloved echoed his thoughts from earlier.

"I can't," Xia Chong said. "I've never had a home, so I don't mind going somewhere new to be with good people I care about. To me, Qing Shan Yuan and Wei are just places that are probably both better and worse than other places in which I've lived."

"For many years, this was my home," He Xiao said. "I never thought I'd choose to leave Yanbei by choice once I returned, yet here I am."

"You said yourself that you figured that you'd never be forgiven for your past mistakes and that there was nothing for you here," Xia Chong pointed out.

"Nothing but memories," He Xiao said. "That's how I felt at the time, yet I could stay here if I wanted to. Yuan Song offered me my choice of military positions and told me that I would always be welcome back here if I changed my mind."

"Surely he didn't expect you to say yes."

"No, he didn't," He Xiao said, smiling at the memory of the conversation. "He said as much. He knows where my heart lies—well, one of the places, anyway."

The air in the small bedroom suddenly grew charged as He Xiao realized that his vague notions of "someday" had suddenly crystallized into "today." He mentally shrugged as he prepared to jump into the fray, that battle pressure building within him as if he were getting ready for a big fight.

"Xia Chong," he said, a husky note entering his voice, "I know that our lives are changing fast and that we've only known each other for a month or so, but I already know that I want to spend the rest of my life at your side."

The slightly-panicked look on Xia Chong's face was not the expression that he'd hoped to see after making such a confession. He Xiao switched tactics, mentally pulling out a different weapon than the one he'd been using.

"I'm not saying that we have to decide anything right away," he hastened to explain. "I'm just telling you how I feel and you can decide how you feel later."

Xia Chong was silent for awhile as she stared out at nothing for what felt like an eternity.

"You're right, He Xiao, about things changing so fast," she said. "Soon, I'll leave here and go to Qing Shan Yuan with Chu Qiao to join her honor guard and to learn more about my Ice Martial Arts abilities. You'll be there, too-except you'll be settling into your role as captain of her honor guard and dealing with some bad memories. That's a lot of change to get used to."

"It is," He Xiao acknowledged. "But those changes won't change the way I feel about you; nothing will."

"I wouldn't expect them to," Xia Chong said, smiling wistfully at him. "And I'm not saying I don't feel the same way about you, because I do. It's just...I need more time."

He Xiao grinned fiercely at his beloved's acknowledgment of her own feelings for him.

"I don't mind waiting for you to be ready, Xia Chong," he said. "As you said, we're already going to be facing many chaotic changes, so waiting awhile to make another large change would likely help us to adjust to our new home more easily."

"Home," Xia Chong said, frowning slightly. "There's that word again. Will it really be home?"

"Chu Da Ren will be there. You'll be there. Some of my men will be there. Yes; for me, it will be home."

"I see where I rank," Xia Chong said, looking at him with an exaggerated pout.

"Well, Xia Chong, if you want to move up my priority list, then you'll have to change your status with me," He Xiao said with a straight face that would've made Young Master Yue proud.

"Oh?" Xia Chong asked, raising an eyebrow. "And how would I do that?"

"Well, you see, Chu Da Ren is my general, and she's someone I trust absolutely. You? Well, as you said, I need more time to decide."

"Decide what?" Xia Chong asked, the faux innocent look on her face making her look eerily like his general. "I don't recall you asking me any questions or stating any overt intentions."

Now He Xiao was the one who felt panicked as he realized that his woman had backed him into a corner.

"Ah," he said nervously, "I see. Well, you just said that you didn't want to make any decisions any time soon, so I know that if I ask you a certain question, I'll receive an answer I won't like, so…."

"Are these really the words of the same brave warrior who fought with two blades at once during the Battle of Xiuli Mountain? Where's your typical sense of boldness, He Xiao?"

"Where's yours, Xia Chong?" he fired back at her, unwilling to let her get away with such a slight. "You're a former Afterlife Camp assassin who's used to making life-and-death decisions at a moment's notice. You're the ones who tracked down Yuan Song's people and persuaded them to save our lives on Xiuli Mountain. You're the one who fought Xiao Yu to a standstill for hours, saving numerous lives. How much time did you need to make those decisions? I'll ask you again: Where's your own sense of boldness?"

They stared at each other, the tension building within the small home once again. As if he were mentally grasping his weapons, He Xiao entered the fray again, reaching out to Xia Chong and gently cupping her cheek in his hand.

"Will you marry me, Xia Chong?" he asked, giving her his best intense gaze.

Xia Chong stared at him for what felt like years but was likely only a couple of seconds.

"Yes, I will," she managed to say through an obviously tight throat.

They moved closer together, and He Xiao took advantage of this development by leaning down and kissing his fiance deeply. She responded with equal enthusiasm, both of them seeming to find their boldness at the best possible time.

"Now I can consider you more important than Chu Da Ren," he murmured into her ear.

"You'd better!" she said, glaring at him before allowing a large grin to take over her face. Her eyes filled with mischief as she shaped her features into a reasonable reproduction of her master's flirtatious bearing.

"We'd better get married soon before I change my mind or find someone else, Xiao Xiao," she said, giving him her foxiest grin.

He Xiao threw back his head and laughed heartily at his woman's antics; she joined in after maintaining her Xiao Ce impression as long as she could. As his mirth wound down, however, he found himself growing serious again.

"Xia Chong, we don't have to go to Qing Shan Yuan if you don't want to do so."

"Of course we have to go," she said, eyes widening. "My master gave me this mission. I want to get to know Chu Qiao better. I need to learn more about my abilities. And you...Could you honestly leave Chu Qiao's service?"

"Yes," He Xiao said without hesitation. "A few moments ago, you were just the woman I cared for deeply with whom I hoped to share my life. Now you're my future wife, the future mother of our children, and the woman who's promised to spend her life with me. That outranks a general any day."

His beloved's eyes misted with tears, which she swiped at with short, irritated gestures.

"I think Qing Shan Yuan is the best place for both of us—for now, anyway," she said. "We can find our places there, settle in...get married...and then..."

"Then we can always do something else if we want to, you and I," He Xiao finished for her.

"Right."

"The whole world will be open to us, Xia Chong, and nothing and no one will be able to stand in or way," he said, grinning fiercely at his fiance.

He pulled his beloved to himself and kissed her passionately, realizing that he'd never felt more thankful that he'd followed Chu Da Ren down her dark and dangerous path than he did now.

* * *

Chu Qiao strode confidently through the palace, her eyes taking in the familiar surroundings for the final time. Although she hadn't lived here for long, the time she'd spent within these walls had changed her significantly. Not far from here was the room in which she'd committed herself to walk a different path, and within the room to which she was walking waited the man who would walk beside her for the rest of his days.

Ostensibly, she was going to Yuwen Yue's room to tell him that the servants had finished packing their belongings and that their large party would be departing after lunch for Wei, but in reality, she simply wanted to be with her fiance. After all, she knew that someone else had likely imparted this news to her beloved already, but she found herself anxious to leave this place behind and to get one step closer to becoming Yuwen Yue's wife.

 _I'm also going to tell him about Mo'er's latest adventure even though I know he's going to tease me about our son being just like me,_ she thought, smiling as she visualized how the conversation would likely go.

" _So you gave him strict orders not to leave his room and he still got caught exploring the armory with some new friends? I'm shocked that your son would do such a thing, Xing'er."_

" _I'm just as shocked that_ your _son would sneak off somewhere he wasn't supposed to go. You would never do such a thing, Yuwen Yue."_

" _I would at least tell someone where I was going before I went there—unlike you."_

" _I told you when I was going to practice my Ice Martial Arts technique on Xiuli Mountain."_

" _Only because you wanted to be alone with me, Xing'er."_

" _Who wanted to be alone with you, Yuwen Yue?"_

She couldn't prevent herself from smiling as she envisioned not only this scenario but other similar ones playing out over the years. While she was uncertain about much of the future, her relationship with Yuwen Yue was something in which she felt completely confident.

An extra bounce entered her step as she remembered the excitement and joy on He Xiao's face when he'd told her that Xia Chong had accepted his proposal. Sometimes she still couldn't believe that they had all not only survived the Battle of Xiuli Mountain but might actually get to experience some happiness—for a time, at least.

Finally, she arrived at Yuwen Yue's door and was surprised to hear a feminine voice coming from inside the room. She felt ridiculous because of the pulse of jealousy that shot through her, but her shame over her momentary doubt of Yuwen Yue's love for her didn't prevent her from barging into the room without knocking or announcing herself in any other way.

"...some other way to get the blood from one person to another?" she heard Yuwen Yue ask the woman who was in his room.

The knowing gleam in Yuwen Yue's gaze did nothing to ease her sense of embarrassment as the identity of her fiance's mystery woman became obvious to her. Phoenix looked back at her placidly, amusement dancing in her eyes at the obvious thoughts that Chu Qiao knew were playing on her face. She managed to put her own feelings of sheepishness aside to appreciate the fact that the heads of the Underworld and the Eyes of God were meeting behind closed doors without killing one another.

"Good morning, Xing'er," her fiance said, walking up to her and smirking at her now that Phoenix couldn't see his face. "We were just finalizing the details of the alliance between the Underworld and the Eyes of God, but we somehow ended up talking about Luo He's blood transfer techniques instead. Would you like to hear our theories?"

"Maybe we could talk about them on the way back to Wei since we're almost ready to go," Chu Qiao said. "One of the servants just told me that everything has been packed up and that we'll be ready to leave with Xiang and Yuan Song's party after the midday meal—to which we've been invited, apparently."

"I figured as much," Yuwen Yue said. "I'm surprised you beat Yue Qi here, though. Maybe he's still handling the aftermath of Mo'er's latest adventure."

Chu Qiao wasn't surprised that her fiance had heard about their adopted son's antics, and she knew that Yuwen Yue was about to blame her for Mo'er's actions. Phoenix, however, beat him to the punch.

"Ah, yes, I heard about that," she said smugly. "Sneaking into somewhere he didn't belong and getting others in trouble in the process? He sounds like a Yuwen to me."

"Combined with Xing'er's ability to effortlessly get into trouble..."

"He'll fit right in with you two," Phoenix finished for him.

"And the many other children we're going to have together," Yuwen Yue said, gazing into Chu Qiao's eyes with a look that left none of his feelings on the matter to her imagination.

"That's not a subject I care to contemplate on too much," Phoenix said, her half-smile taking the sting out of the words. "In fact, I should probably go home myself. After all, I have a lot of work to do before our organizations can finalize our alliance."

"Good," Yuwen Yue said, nodding once. "You will, of course, come to Qing Shan Yuan for our wedding in several weeks, right?"

Chu Qiao's eyes widened in shock.

"I wouldn't miss it," Phoenix said without missing a beat. "If nothing else, I'll be able to make all of those pompous Wei officials uncomfortable with just my presence."

"You are quite good at that," Yuwen Yue acknowledged.

"Thank you, Young Master Yue," she said, sarcastically clasping her hands and bowing.

Phoenix walked up to Chu Qiao and, to her surprise, gave her a quick hug.

"I'm not sure that Luo He would've approved of everything we're doing here, but I feel that she'd still be proud of you for finding such an...unorthodox method of neutralizing the Eyes of God as a threat to us."

"Something tells me that Luo He wouldn't have had as much success as Xing'er did with this particular method," Yuwen Yue observed dryly.

"That's another subject I don't care to contemplate," Phoenix said, walking towards the door.

She stopped and turned around, giving Chu Qiao one last look and acting like she was going to say something else. Instead of doing so, she simply opened the door and strode through it, leaving them in somewhat awkward silence. An impish grin began to form on Chu Qiao's face as a thought came to her.

"What thought put that expression on your face, Xing'er?"

"I'm just imagining the look on your grandfather's face when you inform him that Phoenix is coming to the wedding," Chu Qiao said, grinning widely. "Can I be there to see his reaction when you tell him?"

"Xing'er," Yuwen Yue admonished, "you need to at least try to make peace with my grandfather."

"Why bother?" she asked, scowling. "He hates me so much he wanted to send me on a suicide mission. He's probably hated me from the moment he heard about me. He's probably going to loathe me for the rest of my life, but he doesn't need to worry, because the feeling's mutual."

"Once he gets to know you, Xing'er-"

"He'll hate me even more."

"No, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said softly. "Someday he'll come to see you as I do."

"I hope he doesn't come to see me exactly as you do," Chu Qiao said, shuddering in an exaggerated fashion.

"Well, of course there will be parts of you that only I will ever see and no other man," Yuwen Yue said, giving her that intense smirk that she loved and hated so much.

"Rascal," she said predictably, her cheeks heating as she took a few steps away from him.

"The first time you called me that, Xing'er, I threatened to prove to you that I was a man," Yuwen Yue said, walking closer to her.

"I doubt that any of your men would call you a monk these days."

He continued to walk towards her, his posture and gaze adopting an identical bearing to that time in the bath house that seemed so long ago. As before, he stopped in front of her, but this time, he did what she knew now he'd wanted to do then and pulled her to himself, kissing her passionately. She responded much differently than she would've then, too, returning his kiss in equal measure.

Through her passionate haze, Chu Qiao heard the door to Yuwen Yue's room open and a familiar tread walk through the entrance. She mentally groaned but decided to let her beloved take the initiative to break the kiss since she didn't want to.

"Master, we're almost ready to depart for W-"

Yue Qi didn't even bother to offer an apology this time as he spun around and quickly left the room.

"Have you given any more thought to giving Yue Qi a raise, Yuwen Yue?" Chu Qiao asked into the frustrated silence. "The poor man has put up with so much."

"He's interrupted so much," her beloved practically growled.

"And it's a good thing, too," Chu Qiao said, looking at him pointedly. "Imagine what would've happened otherwise."

"Nothing that you wouldn't have wanted to happen, Xing'er," he said, gazing at her intensely.

"Let's go, Yuwen Yue," she said in a slightly-breathless rush. "The sooner we leave, the sooner we can all go home."

Her throat caught on the last word, and Yuwen Yue heard her hesitation. As at the practice field when Mo'er had come to see them, he seemed quite affected by her referring to his home as hers.

"At the icy lake, I promised I'd take you home, X'er," he murmured, clasping her cheek in his hand.

"And I promised I'd stay with you for the rest of my life," Chu Qiao said.

Yuwen Yue drew her close again and kissed her softly, conveying all of his feelings for her in his tender embrace. He broke the kiss and stepped back slightly, seeming to get lost in her eyes.

"Take me home, Yuwen Yue," she whispered, not objecting in the slightest when he gave her a quick kiss before leading her out of his room.

* * *

AN: This is the last full chapter of this story; all that's left is the wedding night epilogue, which will go up in a week. Then I'll be taking a break to recover from writing this monstrosity and to plot out "Awakening." I might actually write Chapter 2 of that before I chart the rest of the story since I've pretty much got that one mapped in my head, but I'll make no promises.

Translation/fanfic updates: Spring Breeze has translated the second part of Chapter 155, "Final Farewell with the Ruler," on darkstarlights dot wordpress dot com. Angel Chua continues to add chapters to "Secret Princess" at princessagents dot wordpress dot com.

Musical selections: There are so many possibilities, most of them centering around the concept of coming home since that's the general theme of the chapter. I started this segment by recommending a "Glenn and Ronan" cover that captured Yuwen Yue's feelings accurately, so I'll do the same to close the main portion of the story with "Come Home," originally performed by "One Republic." For Chu Qiao, there's the Skylar Green's "Coming Home, Part II," which is the follow-up to "Coming Home," which she originally sang with Diddy/Dirty Money (which also fits a couple of characters quite well). For everyone else, there's "Home" by Phillip Phillips.


	19. Chapter 19

AN: First I would like to thank...Oh, forget it. You're not going to read this. Go read the wedding night. Go, go, go!

* * *

Yuwen Yue strode across the empty courtyard of Qing Shan Yuan, his handsome, grand appearance having the opportunity to benefit nobody but himself due to the circumstances. All of his servants were busy tending to the wedding guests, who would likely be celebrating his and Xing'er's marriage for hours yet. They had seemed perfectly content to send him to his bride, and he had been perfectly content to allow them to continue to drink his fine wine and eat his delicious food—especially since he knew that he was getting the better end of that deal.

A flash of his red robes caught his eye as he walked, adding to that sense of unreality that he'd had the entire day. While the occasional, brief moments of wondering whether he was still in the icy lake or bleeding out in the infirmary had lessened as the weeks had gone by, the red robes he was wearing had brought that feeling back with a vengeance. Seeing his beloved dressed in her own wedding robes had made him wonder if he were dreaming, and the knowledge that he was finally going to make Xing'er his wife in every way did nothing to decrease his sense of unbelief.

Shaking off such ridiculous notions, he turned his mind instead to the wedding night plans he was going to execute in order to make tonight as perfect for Xing'er as he knew it was going to be for him. This was, of course, one of the most important nights of his life to date, and his master plan was guaranteed to help them both make the most of the occasion regardless of how tempted he was to cast aside his plans for tonight and skip straight to the finish.

He stopped in the middle of the courtyard where Xing'er had knelt in defiant deference years ago and spared a moment to remember the people they'd been. Even then, he'd been drawn to her; even then, he'd been able to tell that she'd felt something for him even if she hadn't understood the meaning of those feelings. Yuwen Yue remembered how wide Xing'er's eyes had become as as he'd approached her, her nervousness warring with the urgent desire to be with him—even if only for the safety of herself and her sisters.

A bit of nervousness had appeared in her eyes this past week, and Yuwen Yue had at first been almost afraid of what that look in her eyes had meant. Had she already begun to regret deciding to marry him? Did she want to change her mind? Was there some misunderstanding between them that had yet to be resolved? He saw no evidence of such reservations in her interactions with him, so her occasional wariness left him confused for several days.

The answer, when it had come to him, had warmed him due to its mundane ordinariness. Simply put, the woman he loved was nervous about marrying him and all that that entailed. He'd scowled as he'd thought through some of the likely reasoning for her nervousness, however, as he'd realized that she'd probably either overheard some of the things that that idiotic doctor had said about her scars or that he'd made a few subtle comments of his own to her. Even if she hadn't known of the doctor's opinion of her desirability, there was always the chance that she was self-conscious about the physical toll that the Battle of Xiuli Mountain had taken on her body.

Of course, the odds of him finding his new wife unattractive in any way were even lower than the likelihood of him being upset about her wiping out the entire third branch of his family, but such fears were rarely about logic anyway. In fact, he acknowledged that he had some insecurities of his own in regards to Xing'er, although none of them had to do with his appearance. Yuwen Yue knew that he still feared the possibility of his wife leaving him someday, and he wondered if he'd ever be able to feel wholly confident in her commitment to stay by his side.

 _Not that I doubt her love for me or her desire to be my wife, but there may come a time when…_

The spymaster once again shoved his unproductive thoughts to the side as he unfroze himself from his position and stalked up the stairs leading to his rooms. Worrying about anything other than the immediate future was pointless, and he was determined to put aside all thoughts that didn't have to do with bringing out the passionate side of his wife that she'd shown him multiple times since agreeing to spend the rest of her life with him.

Yuwen Yue pushed open the doors to his rooms, appreciating that everything looked as well-kept as it always did. Even though he was supposed to be in the adjacent quarters tonight, his servants had, per his orders, kept his room ready for occupancy this night "should the need arise." He had a feeling that some of his servants may have misinterpreted his meaning, but they had done their duty nevertheless.

A whoosh of wings and a soft welcome squawk alerted him to the presence of his beloved parrot, who had clearly been waiting for him to arrive. The bird flew excitedly around Yuwen Yue's head before landing on the master's shoulder.

"Xing'er! Xing'er! Xing'er!" the bird softly but enthusiastically chirped in his master's ear.

Yuwen Yue gently caressed the parrot's head in gratefulness for his years of friendship when such loyalty and love had been in such short supply.

"You know what to do," he said to the bird, who squared his shoulders and dipped his head.

"Go away! Go away! Can't come in! Can't come in! Master's orders! Master's orders!"

The spymaster's eyes gleamed with appreciation and affection for his companion.

"That's right," he confirmed. "Nobody comes in here or in Xing'er's rooms—especially not Yue Qi."

As the parrot launched himself off of Yuwen Yue's shoulders and flew through the open doors, the spymaster smiled as he remembered the conversation he'd had with his loyal guard.

" _Yue Qi," he'd said that morning, frowning fiercely, "I don't care if the vengeful spirit of Yan Xun storms the gates of Qing Shan Yuan at the head of 150,000 ghost soldiers and demands my head in a silken sack; you are not to interrupt me this night."_

" _What if Liang decides to take vengeance for the death of Xiao Yu tonight?" Yue Qi asked, his face serious but his eyes twinkling._

" _Then take advantage of the bevy of martial talent that you'll have at your disposal," Yuwen Yue had replied. "You'll have some of the greatest warriors in all the land at Qing Shan Yuan tonight—so use them."_

" _What if the royal court needs you to solve a serious problem?"_

" _Tell them to solve their own problem," he'd said. "I'm tired of fixing everyone else's problems. I'm going to spend every moment of tonight with the woman who will soon be my wife and I don't care if all of Wei falls into shambles as a result."_

" _I'll give your regards to Prince Xiang, then."_

" _Please do, Yue Qi. In fact, if trouble arises, let him solve it since he didn't show up at Xiuli Mountain in time to do anything other than cause problems. So help me, if any man interrupts me tonight, I'll make him a eunuch on the spot—crown prince or stable boy."_

 _Yue Qi had given Yuwen Yue an exaggerated shudder followed by a sketchy bow, laughter dancing in the depths of his eyes._

Yuwen Yue reflected in amusement on the multiple times in the past couple of weeks that his personal guard had interrupted him and Xing'er. She'd admonished him multiple times about his need to give Yue Qi a raise of some sort, and he figured that he'd do so—after he'd settled into life with his bride at his side, of course.

He took one last look around his room, his eyes lighting on the bed and staying there. If tonight went as he anticipated it would, he and Xing'er would soon be returning here to bring their relationship full-circle where everything had truly begun between them. Yuwen Yue could finally say that he understood Xing'er, so he was reasonably certain that she'd prefer to spend tonight—and every other night—in this bed.

While he could hardly wait for the inevitable conclusion to this night, he found himself hesitating to go to his bride and realized with a sense of disbelief that he himself was nervous. He examined himself for a logical reason but could find none, so he concluded that he was experiencing that irrational wedding night anxiety that he'd heard others talk about but had always mentally ridiculed. His own feelings only served to amplify his desire to ease Xing'er's own nerves and get them both in the proper state of mind.

Yuwen Yue stalked towards one side of his rooms and walked through a small door that led to a little pathway that would take him back to the main courtyard if he walked its length. He crossed over it instead, arriving at the side entrance to his wife's rooms—and the site of the bridal chamber he'd had constructed therein. Xing'er had agreed to have the rooms turned into a bridal chamber since she'd been content to sleep in her old room with her two sisters, who had come back from Yanbei with her for the wedding. He wouldn't be surprised if the two young ladies decided to stay at Qing Shan Yuan indefinitely since they'd seemed to enjoy being around their sister without the constant threat of death looming over them.

Aside from wanting to spend time with her sisters, his beloved had likely elected to sleep in the servants' quarters because she didn't yet feel comfortable in the suite of rooms that were now her due as the Da Fu Ren of Qing Shan Yuan. He knew that she would become accustomed to her new quarters—and her new role—in due time, but for now…

Yuwen Yue grasped the side door and pulled, opening it soundlessly and slipping inside as if he were infiltrating an enemy's lair on an assignment for the Eyes of God. His mission was a simple one, however: He simply wanted to gaze at his bride for a few moments before making his presence known.

He crept down the short hall and slowly walked into the red-decked room, his eyes skimming past the vivid decorations and landing on his wife, who had apparently grown tired of putting up with her veil and had pushed it away from her face. The spymaster didn't mind in the slightest since he now had the opportunity to etch the sight of his beloved Xing'er dressed in her wedding gown into his memories. He took the time to memorize everything about the scene before him, savoring it before executing the next part of his plan.

Her hands moved slightly, and Yuwen Yue realized that she was holding something in them. When he realized what he was looking at, his eyes widened slightly in surprise. Xing'er froze and looked up as if she'd sensed his presence. Their gazes locked, and Yuwen Yue felt himself freezing, too, unable to take his eyes off of his wife and the large jade ring she was holding.

"Did you finally grow tired of listening to the fawning of people who hate you and remember you have a wife?" Xing'er asked, a sharp edge of nervousness in her voice.

"I never forgot I had a wife," Yuwen Yue replied, stalking closer to the bed with an intense look on his face. "I never will, Xing'er."

He stared her down until he saw her gulp and then fumble with her veil one-handed as she tried to put it back into place. Yuwen Yue reached out a hand and gently clasped hers, stopping her from covering the face that he never wanted to see hidden from him again. His wife's eyes were as wide as he'd ever seen them, and they stayed that way as he gently removed the veil fully and placed it on a nearby table.

"You still took your time coming here, Yuwen Yue," she said, her voice slightly shaky.

"Of course I did," he replied. "After all, I had to spend time with our guests—many of whom don't hate us."

"Many of them do," she muttered, looking down and fiddling with the large ring in her hands.

"Yes, many of them do," Yuwen Yue readily admitted. "I must confess I enjoyed watching all of them having to pretend to be happy for me as they wished me good fortune."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," she muttered, scowling.

"I know why you're acting like this, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said, putting that pensive look on his face that he knew his wife both loved and hated.

"Why is that, Husband?" she asked sweetly.

"Because you want to be alone with me, Xing'er," he murmured, unable to keep from reacting to hearing her refer to him as her husband for the first time even as an insult.

"Who wants to be alone with you, Yuwen Yue?" she retorted, a small smile shaping her lips in spite of her words. "Maybe I was just anxious to show you the wedding present that Xiao Ce sent me—in an entire box of lip balm tubs, no less."

The last thing Yuwen Yue wanted to do was to talk about Xiao Ce on his wedding night, but he understood the significance of that ring not only for his wife but for several of their friends as well.

"Did he send a note with the ring?"

"There was a piece of paper in the center of the ring, but it just had a single word on it: Viper."

He simply stared at her in question.

"She was the Underworld agent who was driving my carriage the day I fell into the river. I thought she'd died, but Mister Wu nursed her back to health. Apparently she teamed up with Xiao Ce to get vengeance for Luo He."

"Is Viper young and attractive, by any chance?"

"Why? Are you interested?"

Yuwen Yue gave his wife his best intense stare.

"I'm sure that Xiao Ce has enjoyed spending time with her," Xing'er finally said.

"I'm sure he has," Yuwen Yue said. "Now let's stop talking about Xiao Ce before I get the wrong idea."

Yuwen Yue found himself under Xing'er's own focused stare as she let him know with her eyes what she thought of his joking accusation. His wife slowly deposited the ring on a nearby table, never breaking eye contact with him. She stood up from the bed, her upturned face close enough for him to kiss if he just brought his a little lower. He held himself in check, wanting to carry out his plan first.

"Xia Chong and Meng Feng were in here earlier with my sisters offering me...encouragement," she said, blushing. "I showed the ring to them and they were relieved to not have the threat of Zhan Ziyu hanging over their heads. Phoenix just smirked, which led me to believe that she'd already known of Viper's success."

"Apparently Prince Xiang also received a special gift from Xiao Ce," Yuwen Yue said, barely able to keep his lips from twitching. "His was a mustache wrapped in paper—and tucked away in a box of mysterious items that he asked me to identify."

Xing'er stared at him in confusion for a few moments before her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open slightly.

"He didn't."

Yuwen Yue withdrew a tub of lip balm from his red robes.

"He did. He sent Xiang an entire box of lip balm with no explanation whatsoever. Xiang had no clue what it was, so he asked me if I knew."

"And?"

"What do you think I told him, Xing'er?"

"Obviously not the truth."

"Of course I told him the truth," Yuwen Yue said, straight-faced. "I told him that the men of the Southlands use this balm to keep their lips from getting cracked and bloody at the front. After all, how else did the crown prince manage to keep his lips so plump and smooth on Xiuli Mountain while our lips were so chapped?"

His wife gaped at him in astonishment before breaking out into a huge grin that made her look even more beautiful. Yuan Song had been right all those years ago when he'd said that Xing'er's smile was like the sun coming out. Yuwen Yue couldn't restrain himself from reaching out a hand and cupping his wife's cheek, and he barely held himself back when she leaned into his touch.

"You're going to be single-handedly responsible for the spread of lip balm use among the soldiers of Wei."

"Not just the soldiers of Wei," he said, caressing her cheek with his thumb. "Xiao Ce sent an entire box for our house guards as well. Yue Qi was perplexed, but he said that if someone as manly as He Xiao could pocket these tubs so enthusiastically, then they must be useful."

Xing'er started shaking with laughter just as Yuwen Yue had intended, and for a brief moment, he wondered if maybe he wouldn't have to go through with the rest of his scheme after all. Testing that theory, he tilted his head slightly down towards his wife's and leaned in as if he were going to kiss her. Wariness and desire warred in her eyes as he saw he steel herself with determination.

 _No, my love,_ he thought as he pulled his head back and pocketed the lip balm tub for later. _You won't approach our wedding night as if it's just another battle to be won or another sacrifice to be made._

 _Y_ _ou mean like you're doing, oh hypocritical spymaster? t_ hat snide part of himself sneered. _You need to loosen up and enjoy the moment yourself, you old stick-in-the-mud._

Yuwen Yue ignored that inner voice and looked down at his wife's puzzled face, knowing that his own enjoyment would come soon enough. He dropped his hand from her cheek and walked over to a table and two chairs that he'd had set up just for this occasion. The spymaster was proud of this gift he'd gotten for his beloved and was already anticipating her moment of realization about its significance. He sat down in one of the chairs, flaring his red robes out and settling himself comfortably.

"Make me some tea, Xing'er," he said calmly as if this were just an ordinary day at Qing Shan Yuan.

"What?" she asked in startlement. "You mean...you want me to…?"

"I had your sisters prepare everything just so," Yuwen Yue said. "I told them what I wanted and they knew exactly what to do."

His wife blinked at him in confusion but walked over to the small cooking area where warm coals beneath a small fire were already waiting for the placement of a pot filled with water. Her eyes landed on a small clay pot and widened in disbelief. She picked up the pot, sniffed its contents, and verified them, the image searing itself into Yuwen Yue's memory.

"You were actually serious about me making Yanbei clay pot tea?" his wife asked.

"Of course I was, Xing'er," he responded. "I told you that I wanted you to make that tea again, and now would be the perfect time to do so."

"Oh."

His wife set about making their special Yanbei clay pot mint tea, and the sight of his wife going through these familiar yet special motions tested his resolve anew. Yuwen Yue could see his bride relaxing a little as she carried out this routine process that she'd done so many times. As she grew more and more absorbed with her task, Yuwen Yue indulged himself in watching his beloved, the red of her robes shimmering softly in the low light provided by the small fire and the lit lamps.

Her breath caught in her throat as she turned around with the tea tray in her hands and saw the expression on his face. Yuwen Yue didn't even bother to try to hide his feelings as his wife carried the tea over to the table in shaky hands. He remembered that night in the cave when she'd poured him tea with a similar lack of composure, but he reveled in the different flavor of these emotions compared to the ones they'd felt that night.

"Here, Husband," Xing'er said breathlessly, holding the cup of tea out to him.

He took it from her, his eyes leaving hers only when he closed them to inhale the scent of the tea, which smelled almost identical to what Xing'er had brewed in the cave. Yuwen Yue placed the cup to his lips and drank, savoring the flavor of the beverage as it sat on his tongue. While the tea would never win any bedchamber maid competitions, it did take him back in time—and make a nice introduction for the next part of his plan.

"Do you recognize this table and these chairs, Xing'er?" Yuwen Yue asked, his eyes still closed.

He could envision her look of part confusion and part concentration as she examined the set more closely.

"I thought that it looked familiar earlier but I couldn't figure out why. It's a lovely set; did you have it made for me, Yuwen Yue?"

"I suppose you could say I had it remade for you, Xing'er."

"It reminds me of the table and chairs from the cave at the base of Xiuli Mountain. That furniture was battered and scarred, though, so I guess I'm just being silly. This table is almost perfect except for this one...deep..."

His wife's voice trailed off as she slowly lowered a finger to the table and traced a deep groove marring its otherwise perfect surface. Yuwen Yue opened his eyes, not wanting to miss the look of wonder that he knew would appear on his wife's face as she realized that the lovely table and chairs she'd been admiring were the same scuffed, damaged ones from the Yanbei cave.

"It can't be..." she whispered, her eyes scanning the table with new eyes.

"It is, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue confirmed. "Before we left Yanbei, I found a craftsman who agreed to restore that set."

He'd also agreed to reinforce the table so that it would be able to bear the weight of two people, but the specific plans Yuwen Yue had for this table would, like so many others that he'd made over the course of his life, have to wait until later to be carried out.

"But why did you…?"

"Why did I have a master craftsman restore some old, beaten-up furniture from a cave when I already have access to some of the finest furniture in all of Wei?"

"Mm."

"What do you think my reasons were, Xing'er?" Yuwen Yue asked, curious about his wife's answer.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say that you rescued this furniture because you're sentimental about it," Xing'er said, thoughtfully running her finger along the scar again. "After all, I can't imagine the great Yuwen Yue, General of Wei, leader of the Eyes of God, and wielder of Po Yue Jian allowing anything less than perfect in his home."

"Does that single imperfection bother you, Xing'er?"

"Of course not, Yuwen Yue."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't mind."

"Why don't you mind? After all, you said yourself that that mark is an imperfection."

"I said _you_ might be bothered by the imperfection, Yuwen Yue; I didn't say that _I_ would."

"So you think I'm bothered by imperfection?"

"Of course," his wife replied, looking down at the table. "As long as I've known you, you've always had to have things just the way you've wanted them. You always demand perfection in everything close to you."

"Including my wife?"

Xing'er's head jerked up, her eyes round with suprise as they met his. Yuwen Yue mentally congratulated himself on having pegged one of the sources of his wife's nervousness even as he imagined a variety of creative ways to send that moronic doctor to the afterlife. His wife's fiery defiance asserted itself as she jutted out her jaw.

"You knew what you were getting when you asked me to marry you, Yuwen Yue. If you've suddenly realized that I'm not the perfect wife you wanted, then that's too bad."

"Does the table's imperfection bother you, Xing'er?" Yuwen Yue asked his bride again, staring at her intently.

"I already told you it doesn't."

"But you never told me why it didn't bother you."

"It doesn't bother me because I don't mind imperfection like you do."

"Are you sure that's the only reason you don't mind the scar, Xing'er?"

"What else do you want me to say, Yuwen Yue? Do you want me to thank you for the table and chairs? Thank you for the table and chairs, Husband. I really like them. Every time I sit at this table, I will think of you and the good times we've had together arguing over cups of tea."

Yuwen Yue's face shaped itself into that expression that he often found himself wearing around his wife when she'd just said something irritating but he also couldn't help but admire her for her impertinence.

"' _Admire?'" his snide side said. "Is that what you're calling it now? Are you really going to keep denying to yourself that every time you've worn that expression in the past, you've felt the desire to reach for the tie of her robe?"_

"The craftsman who refinished this table apologized profusely for not being able to get that groove out," he said softly, ignoring that voice again. "I told him that that mark actually served my purposes rather than hindered them and he was immensely relieved. Why doesn't the scar bother you, Wife?"

His use of her title softened Xing'er's stance and her eyes regained a sense of openness he hadn't even noticed they'd lost.

"Because this table means something to us, Husband," she replied in kind. "We...we put aside our differences over this table. We came to an understanding over this table."

"In other words, we mended what had been broken."

"Right."

"So, as with this table and chairs, we took a relationship that had been broken and made it into something beautiful."

"Mm," his wife agreed, a wistful smile shaping her lips.

"Can this same lesson not apply to people as well?" Yuwen Yue asked, sharpening his focus as he prepared to drive his point home.

"What?"

"You're not bothered by the mark on this table even though it detracts from the surface's perfection. Are you bothered by the large scar on my chest from the Battle of Xiuli Mountain?"

Xing'er's eyes filled with guilt.

"Yes," she whispered, looking down at the table again. "You got hurt because of me—because I couldn't move Po Yue Jian fast enough to save us. How many times did you almost die that day because of me? How many times have you almost died because of me over the past several years?"

"Yes, Wife," Yuwen Yue said pensively. "I have suffered much because of you. Life with you so far has been a constant trial. I don't know how you're ever going to repay me."

His beloved scowled at him.

"I was being serious, Yuwen Yue!"

"So was I, Xing'er."

"Maybe you want to have your wedding night by yourself," Xing'er muttered.

"What was that, Wife?"

"Nothing, Husband," she said innocently. "I was just thinking out loud about ways I could spare my husband from experiencing my many imperfections tonight."

Yuwen Yue slowly stood up, pushing back his chair and resettling his red wedding robes around himself. Xinger's eyes widened as he stalked towards her and suddenly reached out, cupping her cheek in his hand once again.

"When I asked you whether or not my scars bothered you, Wife, I was asking if you felt that they detracted from my attractiveness in any way."

"Who thinks you're attractive, Yuwen Yue?" she muttered, obviously still irritated with him.

He caressed her cheek with his thumb and waited, knowing his wife would reply to him when she was ready.

"Not that I've seen your scars...yet," Xing'er said, blushing, "but when I do, they won't bother me, Husband."

"Why not?"

"Because I love you," she replied without hesitation, somewhat surprising Yuwen Yue given her recent reticence.

"So why would you think I'd react any differently?" he asked. "Do you still doubt my love for you even after all this time?"

"Of course I don't!" she responded indignantly. "It's just...I..."

"I know you probably know what that doctor said about you, Wife," Yuwen Yue said.

Xing'er's gaze reflected a mixture of negative emotions.

"I know you also know about what he said to Xia Chong given the volume and creativity with which she refuted his remarks."

He got a wan smile for his efforts as his wife obviously remembered the humorous scene of the fierce warrior chasing the babbling doctor all the way out of the lower camp, legendary weapon flashing in the sunlight.

"Dragon Bird almost claimed what surely would've been its stupidest victim that day," his wife said, unable to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

"My biggest regret about that day is that I didn't get the chance to prove to that man how wrong he was," Yuwen Yue said, his eyes boring into his wife's as he mentally prepared himself for the level of vulnerability he was going to have to display.

"Would you have demonstrated your archery instruction techniques for him?"

"And more, X'er," Yuwen Yue murmured, moving closer to his bride and placing his free hand on her other cheek. "This table is beautiful to us in spite of its scars because of its history. We're beautiful to each other because of our history."

"Or in spite of our history," Xing'er muttered.

"I already know all of your flaws, all of your imperfections, X'er," Yuwen Yue whispered into her ear. "I love you anyway."

His wife's eyes filled with tears even as they flashed with the impertinence that told him what her response would be before she said it.

"Just as I already know all of your flaws and imperfections and love you anyway, Husband."

"That can't have taken you long to think about, Wife, since I have so few flaws."

"Hmph," she pouted, pursing her lips. "If I had to list all of your flaws, we'd be here all night."

"Then let's not stay here all night," Yuwen Yue said, his senses sharpening as he realized that the final part of his plan was ready for execution.

 _Well, the final part of the plan before…_

"What?!"

"Let's not stay here all night," he said again patiently, holding out his red-covered arm as his mind briefly went back in time to that lantern festival so long ago. "Come."

His bride stared at him in perplexity before slowly reaching out her hand towards his sleeve. At the last moment, she grasped his hand instead, her posture telling him she'd follow wherever he led her without question.

"Where are we going, Husband?"

 _Or maybe not without question._

He wordlessly pulled her through the side door and out into the cool night air, neither of them breaking stride as they crossed over the small pathway. Xing'er's eyes warmed in comprehension and she looked at him with an expression that made his heart sing and his blood heat. As he'd expected, his beloved was relaxing after leaving the formality and the expectations of the bridal chamber behind. He knew his wife would be more comfortable in his rooms not just now but for the rest of their life together.

All of the times she'd demonstrated passion towards him had been reactions to situations he'd created, so he'd set out to craft a wedding night that would bring out that side of her that she'd been showing him more and more frequently over the past couple of months. Yuwen Yue had eased his wife's fears and insecurities; now all he had left to do was to make her dance for him, and then he'd be able to claim his beloved as his wife in every way in the place where their relationship had truly begun.

* * *

As Chu Qiao entered her husband's rooms, her nostrils flared as his scent surrounded and filled her. These rooms were unapologetically his, and she felt more at home in them than she did anywhere else in spite of—or perhaps because of—the bittersweet memories they conjured up for her. While she knew that she'd someday grow accustomed to spending time in the rooms that were her due as the Da Fu Ren of Qing Shan Yuan, she hoped that her husband would allow her to spend her nights—their nights—in this space that had defined so much of their relationship.

Her decision to take Yuwen Yue's hand and follow him out of the bridal chamber had been an easy one. Gone were the days when she had to deny herself the ability to follow the man she loved on whatever new adventure he had planned for them. Now that she'd pledged herself to him as his wife, she finally felt able to give her heart free rein and to allow herself to live her life without feeling the need to sacrifice it for others.

 _Which is why my fear and nervousness are so ridiculous,_ she thought, scowling as she looked at what she already thought of as their bed. _After all, I've faced down hundreds of thousands of soldiers on multiple battlefields. I've been mauled by wolves and hunted like an animal. I've been beaten. I've been shot. I've been sliced and stabbed and trapped and poisoned. I've been lied to and deceived and betrayed. So why am I suddenly afraid of showing a little vulnerability and experiencing a bit of pain like some pampered, royal empty-head?_

A pungent yet pleasing scent penetrated her senses and tickled her nose, bringing her out of her musings. A small curl of smoke rose up from the incense-burner, dispersing its aroma around the room.

"I would've taken care of that for you," Chu Qiao said, her breath catching in her throat as her husband leveled his intense stare at her.

"I know," Yuwen Yue said, walking towards her. "But you're my wife now, not a servant."

"So I only have to do what you want me to do some of the time?" Chu Qiao asked innocently.

"I wouldn't want to ask too much of you, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said. "I would settle for you doing what I want you to do just a little of the time."

"I'll do my best to live up to your expectations, Husband," Chu Qiao said sweetly but with an edge in her voice that she'd been unable to keep Yuwen Yue from hearing.

The potency of her husband's expression increased as he drew near to her, and the red of his robes only enhanced his handsome appearance. In spite of the tension between them, Chu Qiao couldn't help but feel a sense of rightness about the situation. She belonged in this place at this time with this man, and he belonged in that robe with that expression on his face as he stalked towards her. That understanding helped to calm and reassure her that once she'd gotten through this night, the nervousness would go away and life could move on.

"My expectations are very high for you, Wife," he murmured, stopping right in front of her and bending his head low so that his face was level with hers. "I expect for you love me for the rest of your life. I expect for you face the world at my side till death. I expect for you to be the mother of the many children that we're going to have together."

Her eyes widened on that last point, and she knew that she would've looked back at the bed had she been able to tear her gaze away from his. Part of her wanted to fire off some witty retort, but she felt frozen, her mouth unable to work. He cupped her chin gently in his hand and tilted her head up so that her mouth was almost touching his.

"I expect for you to train hard with me so that you'll always be able to defend yourself against our enemies. I expect for you to live and love and sleep in here with me for the rest of our days. I expect for you to stay with me...to stay with me..."

The look in her husband's eyes was indescribable as he realized that he'd accidentally repeated his anguished words from the icy lake. Chu Qiao's eyes gentled, and she put as much love and promises into them as she could. Her heart thrilled at the fact that her husband was willing to allow her to share these rooms with him in spite of his need for personal space, and she once again felt that sense of rightness as another piece of the future clicked into place. She braced herself for the kiss that would come next and its inevitable conclusion, knowing that she'd never be able to deny her husband anything.

Her body reacted instinctively to the bladed hand that came at the side of her neck without warning as her instincts ripped her out of her husband's grasp and propelling her backwards. She lashed out a booted foot, completely unsurprised when her husband caught it in both hands and pushed her back into a backflip. Chu Qiao landed on both feet and aligned her body in a defensive position just in time to meet her husband's next attack.

It was a familiar one, and she quickly lost herself in the give and take of their sparring routine. The presence of their wedding robes added spice to the experience, giving her and her husband the appearance of dancing flames that flickered both towards and away from one another. One facet of their sparring that hadn't changed was the tension that she felt blossoming inside of her as she settled into the rhythm of the dance. Even when she hadn't understood what her feelings had meant, she'd found herself irresistibly drawn to the man who was now her husband.

He slotted himself behind her and picked her up by her waist and calf, the feeling of his hand on her leg stoking the intensity of her desire for her husband. His eyes bored into hers as he whirled her around in what had become one of her favorite parts of their sparring. This time, however, she held none of her feelings back, allowing them all to shine from her eyes for her husband to see. His own expression for once left none of his emotions—or his intentions—to the imagination, and she found herself wanting to prolong this moment as she suspected Yuwen Yue had done with the tea-serving.

 _Yuwen Yue planned all of tonight in advance,_ she realized as she deliberately whipped out of her husband's hold and started employing a complex set of moves that she remembered from her Underworld years. _He set everything up so that we would end up back here where we belong and so that I would be more relaxed by time we reached this point. My husband could've just taken what he wanted like so many men would've done, but I never would've married him—and he never would've married me—had he been like most other men._

Chu Qiao knew that many would've called them crazy, but the glint in Yuwen Yue's eyes as he used a technique he'd never used on her before told her that he was enjoying this challenge as much as she was. While she knew that some of fire in his gaze came from his desire for her, the rest of it was his response to facing and besting a new obstacle.

 _You told me years ago that I like to fight and win, Yuwen Yue, but you're the same way,_ she thought as her husband caught her own strike towards his head and turned it into a looping twirl as he turned her in place before him.

He trapped her arms and hands in that complex hold that had served them well multiple times over the years and once again spun them around as they attacked phantom enemies through the air. Their red robes flared out around them, creating the illusion of a fire raging out of control. Her husband's eyes echoed that sentiment as they blazed with desire and the intent to finally make his move. Chu Qiao had no desire to stop him, so she allowed him to execute a final familiar move that left her pinned to the bed beneath her husband's strong hands and hooded gaze.

Her mind hazily connected her current position to yet another moment the two of them had shared in that cave, yet the emotions coursing through her now made the ones she'd felt then pale in comparison. Chu Qiao fully understood what she was feeling, and her mind and body were both ready to learn a new set of moves she could use to dance in tandem with her husband in that special rhythm that only he could share with her. As Yuwen Yue's face began to descend towards hers, time and space seemed to slow and narrow down until she was focused solely on the man who was bending over her.

 _My husband,_ she thought in wonder as her hand reached up to caress his face, a wave of love and affection washing over her for the man who had loved her for so long, saved her so many times, and cared for her so well-often with no realistic expectations of receiving anything in return.

Her husband stared down at her in question, even now willing to put her wants ahead of his. A hint of vulnerability crept into his gaze, and she realized that maybe Yuwen Yue wasn't as calm and collected as he was pretending to be. She grew even more determined to carry out the final step of this current dance before the next one began, knowing that her husband would complete his part of the dance just like he'd done so far—and just like he always would.

 _Our wedding was nice and proper,_ she thought, shifting her hand to the back of her husband's neck and softly tugging downward, _but I need for us to make our own vows and promises to one another that reflect who we are._

Chu Qiao stopped Yuwen Yue's descent again just far enough from her face that he could still look into her eyes. She opened them for him completely, doing her best to convey all of the promises of love and commitment and permanence that she wanted to make to him.

"Till death, Yuwen Yue," she said softly, tears filling her eyes as she reaffirmed her promise from the icy lake.

Her husband's eyes erupted in a maelstrom of emotions as he closed the final small distance between their faces.

"For life, X'er," he rasped into her mouth right before he claimed it as his own—this time without interruption.

* * *

AN: This is it, y'all. The end. Posting this at the end of one year and near the beginning of another seems appropriate given this different path we've been walking with XingYue; thanks for taking this wild and crazy journey with me. I can't believe this monstrosity is almost 200,000 words long; I honestly never imagined I'd have that many words about any story in me. Even now, my mind keeps conjuring up new scenes/chapters and tempting me to continue. I've resisted that temptation, though, because I feel that this is where the story needs to end—for now, anyway. As with "Lunar Convergence," I won't rule out the possibility of a sequel; in fact, I already know exactly how I would write one. For now, of course, I'll turn my attention to plotting out "Awakening." The second chapter of that one is fairly self-contained, so I might write that sooner rather than later. Or maybe I won't write it for another month. Or maybe I'll write it and several other chapters before I start posting them so that I can stay ahead. I don't know. We'll see.

One generally doesn't write a nearly-200,000-word story in a vacuum, so I probably should thank those of you who encouraged me this far. First of all, there's no way I would've made it this far without Liliumscribe (or 40somethingahjumma on Soompi), who drew me in with her insightful meta posts and then kept me going with encouragement when I was struggling with understanding Chinese culture and PA canon. Thanks for all the behind-the-scenes headcanon musings and Yuwen Yue fan-girling serious character discussions; every scene involving historically-inaccurate fan-service is dedicated to you;). Thanks to Sey KompungCham and reallyseaweed, who were excellent quality control specialists and faithful reviewers; your enthusiasm was welcome and appreciated. Thank you, Jane Dela Rosa, for keeping me straight with your insightful comments (and your translations of those omitted scenes from the novel that I've read a time or two;P). To Lilium, ElvenDestiny, .iris, AnImaginist, and adrenaline1217, thanks for also contributing content to this fandom. Thanks to my other faithful reviewers like Ty, abjanee, linny, Sros, Eilatan Orama, Sonnie Zoom, theary, and the numerous guests who contributed insights and suggestions. (Special thanks to whichever guest requested some sort of Yan Xun redemption aspect to this story; you're pretty much responsible for me deciding to flesh out "Awakening" from a one-shot double-shot short story to what will likely become my next monstrosity obsession longer story. I kind of hate you right now, but thanks all the same.)

Song recommendation: There's always an element of chance here since many of these songs come to me courtesy of Spotify's "Discover Weekly" playlist. Two such songs are "Til Death Do Us Part" by Kait Weston, which is obviously dedicated to Chu Qiao, and "Fight for You" by Grayson Reed.

Translation/fanfic updates: Spring Breeze has translated another half-chapter of the novel at darkstarlights dot wordpress dot com. Angel Chua continues to add to her fic "Secret Princess" at princessagents dot wordpress dot com.


	20. New story reminder and bonus scene

AN: I just wanted to post a reminder here that I've resumed posting updates to my next story, "Awakening." Since I have twice as many subscribers to this story as that one, I figured that such a post would be beneficial for anyone who's interested in reading more XingYue adventures. FFN frowns on just posting author's notes (as do I, frankly), so I decided to post this bonus ending scene from my outline here. I had a very hard time disengaging from this story, and my mind kept trying to write additional scenes for it even as I told my brain in no uncertain terms that we were finished with this story. I felt strongly that the story needed to end from CQ's perspective just as it began-especially given the emotional high at the end of that last scene. Nevertheless, this scene is head-canon to me. Consider it a bonus, an extra, or simply a thank-you for walking this different path with me.

* * *

Part of the Cangwu parrot was tempted to mimic some of the sounds his sensitive hearing could detect from the room beneath his perch, but he felt like his master had gifted him with a sacred trust, and he wouldn't betray that for anything. Other people might care for his master, but he had seen the master at his most vulnerable—and he alone knew the full story of Master and Xing'er. He'd seen the partygoers start to stumble out of Qing Shan Yuan hours ago, and silence had settled over the grounds—mostly, of course.

Something tickled his senses that was out of place, but he couldn't put his wing on it. All he knew was that he was being watched, and he didn't like it. Finally, a slight motion drew his gaze, and he realized it had been deliberately made. His eyes lit on a tree nearby and saw Xing'er's friend who could also do the strange things with water. She was standing vigil on her own just to make sure nobody made trouble. Another noise caught his attention, and he saw another feminine form make herself visible for a moment before disappearing into the shadows near the entrance to Xing'er's quarters.

Then the warriors came, dressed in their honor guard and house armor and armed to the teeth. They ringed themselves around the building on which he was perched, backs straight and proud as they stared alertly into the night. The captain of Xing'er's guard was dressed in the resplendent set of armor that denoted his position as head of Xing'er's honor guard and her personal protector that he only wore on special occasions—or if he anticipated heading into battle with her. He stationed himself in front of the steps leading up to Yuwen Yue's doors, and nobody challenged his right to be there. Yue Qi separated from the rest of the Yue guards and took his rightful place beside him; the two men nodded at each other and faced outward.

A pair of men dressed in armor even finer than He Xiao's—one with only one arm—stationed themselves at the entrance to the courtyard, smiling at each other before facing out as a handful of their private guard also stationed themselves there. The parrot wondered if anyone besides a few soldiers were guarding the back approach, but then he realized that he hadn't seen the other small warrior woman and her chosen mate, so they were probably guarding the back.

Silence once again fell over his home and in the room beneath as he stood watch with the close friends of the master and Xing'er, and he looked up at the moon shining brightly and the stars around it twinkling merrily, thinking that, at last, all was as it should be.


End file.
